ACT: Director, Client Outreach – Mountain Plains Region

First, I’ve joined ACT, Inc. (you recognize the name in the context of college entrance exams) as the Director of Client Outreach for the Mountain Plains Region.  I’ll be using my problem-solving skills to help educators use all of the company’s assessment solutions to improve college and career readiness throughout the K-12 experience.  I’m very excited about this because (if you’ve been paying any attention to my work over the past decade) I’m passionate about embracing what I call “whole-brain” thinking. ACT had created some programs that go well beyond the standard left-brain academic assessment model into critical “non-cognitive” assessments (learning behaviors, habits, skills, etc.) that I believe have been largely overlooked. The opportunity to be part of a forward thinking organization will allow me to focus and improve my core strengths in an area I believe vitally important  is something I am blessed to accept.

Legal Solutions Counsel: Indigo Ventures Law

Second, I’ve joined the team at Indigo Venture Law Office as Legal Solutions Counsel.  Indigo is a growing team of great business lawyers who have solo or small-firm practices and work together to offer integrated solutions without the inflated overhead of a traditional law firm. It’s a very innovative model and I was happy to be asked to work with the team. Again, being part of an innovative business model is consistent with my history.  I’ll be helping the firm build, offer, and deliver legal and business consulting solutions for information entrepreneurs and other information-centered businesses such as small- and mid-sized book and periodical publishers and other startup and growth companies who want to take advantage of developing communication technologies.

These two changes, in addition to being a husband and father of 3 kids 10 & under, will keep me very busy and challenged.  Obviously, this means my work though Houchin & Associates and The Space Between Center will be limited to a very, very, select group of legal and Authentic Expert coaching clients. If you need help starting or developing your business, or if you want individualized coaching to help you align who you are with what you do professionally, drop me an email and I’ll either help you myself if it’s a fit, or be happy to hook you up with the right person or team.

Here’s to a great 2012 for all of us.

Authentic Expert Program

More than ever, today’s business and entrepreneurial leaders must bring everything they are and nothing they are not to their businesses. By aligning who they are as a person with what they do for a living, leaders create deeply-rooted value and success. Seeing business development and personal development as inextricably linked, leaders become “Authentic Experts.”

The Space Between Center’s Authentic Expert program is a one-to-one customized coaching & consulting engagement with leaders who are committed to authenticity in every aspect of their lives.

Authentic

The program starts with a process of authentication. This authentication process uncovers one’s true self, the spark of divinity given to each of us to recognize, fuel, and share with the rest of the world. The process allows each participant to create a flexible mental model of their authentic niche. Who are you best able to serve with joy, passion, and expertise? What kind of business models can you use or create to share your flame with the rest of the world authentically, sustainably, profitably? How do you create an adaptable mental model for your business that will not shatter as you learn more about yourself, and grow in personal maturity and understanding as you business grows in scope and profitability?

Expert

The program flexes with you moving easily between the spiritual, mental, and practical business leadership challenges you face in the process of sharing your authentic self in the material world. What form of business fits your need? What intellectual property will you develop, share, protect? How will you engage with clients or customers? How will you market your expertise to the people who can benefit from what you offer?

Not Just Another Coaching Program

The Authentic Expert program is not a curriculum designed to force your unique personality into someone else’s process or business model. It’s a program of guiding you to uncover your true self, your authentic purpose, and then help you share what you discover inside with the rest of the world.

All participants will work individually with Kevin Houchin as the facilitator in the process. Kevin is the Founder of The Space Between Center for Creative Spirit in Business, and is himself an Authentic Expert in helping people align who they are with what they do. He is a creative entrepreneur, spiritual & personal development guide, practicing business & intellectual property attorney, mediator, artist, and friend.

Each Authentic Expert client engagement is completely customized individually to fit your specific needs.

See if the Authentic Expert program is right process to uncover your authenticity and align who YOU are inside with what you contribute to the world.

Email Kevin@spacebetweencenter.com now to schedule a free, no-strings attached, 20-minute “Ask-Anything” consultation.

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Like almost everyone who is tired of trading moments of their life for other people’s money, these professionals are creating products that can help people 24/7. In the hypnotherapy industry, this shows up as self-hypnosis audio, video, and written content. Hypnotists become specialists in a niche – “Experts” who are positioned as THE go-to person in their chosen area of passion.

Maybe you’re just like that.  Maybe YOU are trying to figure out how to align your passion—who you are as a person—with what you do to make a living.

Last year I presented on the topic of copyright to a standing-room-only audience at the conference. I also presented a talk on The Power of Acceptance in the context of discovering one’s authentic niche.  Both presentations received outstanding reviews, so the organizers asked me back this year for expanded offerings.  I’m happy to be attending again.

This conference is different.

This conference is dedicated to helping people get the full use of everyone’s primary asset – our mind.

This conference is full of fascinating programming.  There are usually 7 or 8 concurrent sessions happening for 3 days.  The program has something for everyone, so even if you’re not a hypnotist, you might strongly consider attending anyway.  Relative to most 3-day conferences, the registration is VERY inexpensive, only $395.00 for the full three days.  You can take a look at the program here. It’s EXTENSIVE.

This year I’ll be giving a 1-hour version of my No Lame Names: Trademark & Branding presentation on Friday, August 12th and a 2-hour version of my Alchemy of Creative Business: Copyright/Copywrong presentation on Saturday, August 13th.

The Bigger Opportunity

The bigger opportunity this year is a 2-day Workshop on August 15th & 16th tilted “How to Create a Highly Profitable Practice in Your Authentic Niche: Identifying & Creating Information Products and Services that Sell Themselves.”

Download the Session Flyer

This workshop is for ANYONE who wants to align who they are with what they do. The tuition is only $375 for the workshop ($50 less if you’re a full conference attendee).  During the two days I’ll be leading people through the processes of identifying one’s “Authentic Niche” and then outlining the process and developing a strategy for sharing one’s passion through business in order to become what I call an “Authentic Expert.”  We’ll be discussing business formation, business relationships, intellectual property (copyright & trademark), marketing, social media, branding, blogging, public relations, and speaking.

If you want to understand more about this workshop and get a few hints that you can implement right away, listen to this teleconference recording.

Download Free Teleconference Recording

I hope to see you at the conference.  Tell your friends. This workshop is open to anyone.

Click Here to register for the 2-Day Authentic Niche Workshop on August 15th & 16th.  It’ll be well worth the investment.

Finally, don’t worry – nobody will make you cluck like a chicken (unless you volunteer of course…).

I had a meeting with a new client yesterday. This man retired after 20 years in a corporate job for a major international company. Then he got really creative. For the last few years he’s been working on hobby-type projects—just stuff that interested him—and prototyping different products. One of the products is ready for market, well designed, a fun name, very interesting. (I’ll share more about this in separate post soon). One of the products is a learning system that he’s currently applied to teaching the use of foreign language verbs, and while I don’t do patent work, I think this system may be patentable. The third product is a journaling system that has a wonderfully modular set of components that he could produce and market and also license to others.

I LOVE this kind of person. The way their brains work. The joy they bring to creating products is contagious.

I couldn’t help myself, I started tossing out all kinds of ways to increase sales, leverage content, and share this client’s creativity with the world. What was scheduled for a 1 hour meeting lasted for 2.5 (until his parking time was up and I had another appointment – otherwise we might still be there…).  I love how that happens when there is no hourly-billing happening.

So, the level of our business relationship is moving into more of a coaching/consulting relationship instead of being limited to me just drafting contracts and protecting the IP. I’ll now be helping him craft his larger strategy and prioritize which elements should be developed first. Hopefully, this will allow him to spend more of his time doing the things he loves – creating new products and building prototypes.

That’s good. It’s valuable for both of us.

I’m happy to accept more clients like this.  If that’s you, come on down.  :-)

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FREE Call Details:

June 29th – 9PM EASTERN

1-321-354-6946

Conference room ID is: 191630#

There have been some major accomplishments including:

1. Completing the manuscript for my next book: The Secrets of Creative Leadership.

I’ve been working on this book for several years. I was frustrated because my understanding and thoughts kept evolving far faster than I could write and re-write. Finally, I had the break-through thought of shifting it from a focus on entrepreneurial business to a more inclusive approach to leadership (which is really what the book has been about the whole time). Then I took a day off during spring break and focused to get the whole manuscript ready to share.

I had not realized that some of my general frustration and discontent with something I couldn’t identify had to do with wanting to get that project finished to make room for the other things I wanted to do. I’m usually pretty good at finishing projects (even though I have a lot of projects going at once), so it shouldn’t have surprised me so much to be so relieved when I finished the manuscript. A project that stood in “open” mode for over 3 years is stressful. While it’s still not “finished” (which it will be when it’s published and on the shelves), we’re on the down-hill side of the project now.  I know it WILL be shared with the people who are interested, it’s not just sitting in my drawer waiting to be completed anymore.

That feels good.  It was a major goal, but I didn’t have a plan for when it would be finished this year. Each of the 3 years prior had me planning to finish the book, then failing to implement my own plans. This is one instance where it appears surrendering my plan actually helped accomplish my goal.

Let me know if you’re interested in reading the manuscript and perhaps providing a quote or publishing a full review.

2. Mediation Training

I’ve been wanting to move into mediation for a long time because I’m good at helping people reach agreements in order to avoid conflict in the first place, and to resolve conflict after it’s come up. I find myself coaching people in negotiation strategies almost daily. I also do a lot of multi-owner business start-ups where I find myself being “the lawyer for the deal” which is really a perfect example of using mediation techniques to minimize the potential for serious conflict before it has a chance to ignite.

I’m working right now to craft service offerings using these mediation skills in a few different categories:

• Negotiation Skills Presentations
• Negotiation Skills Training
• Coaching (separate from representation) individuals/organizations in Conflict
• Conflict Assessment: Analysis of Situations with Suggestions for Resolution Approach
• Pre-Conflict Mediation: Facilitating Deal Negotiations at the Beginning of the Relationship with the Intent of Minimizing Potential Conflicts in the Future.
• and, yes, actually Mediating Conflict.

I’ll be offering these services through The Space Between Center for Creative Spirit in Business rather than through my law firm, although the Coaching and Assessment services might sometimes fit into or require engagement through the law firm.

Of course I now have a list of blog posts about negotiation and mediation that I’ll be working through (probably over at lawyerist.com).

I’m also thinking of putting an unusual emphasis on the preparation and planning elements of conflict resolution and prevention, maybe going so far as to require everyone at the table to complete an enneagram personality assessment and share the results with me so that I can coach them more effectively relative to how they personally approach conflict, as well as how to use their strengths and weaknesses in the conflict at hand, and in future negotiations.

I like the idea of finding as many opportunities for growth in conflict as possible.  If you’re interest in this kind of approach to your next negotiation, please shoot me an email.

I did not have a plan for when this would happen either. In fact, I had hoped to take the certification course in January, but it was full.  So, my plan would have been ruined anyway – and if I would have had a full plan, I would have been attached to the outcome and gotten ticked off when the plan didn’t come together in exactly the way I wanted it to. So, in this case, not having a plan made my life easier because I didn’t get angry when I got the news the January workshop didn’t have a seat open for me.

3. New Space Between Center Program.

We’re looking at launching some new mastermind programs for entrepreneurs and lawyers starting in June and continuing through the end of 2011.  We’re still shaping the content, but of course it will include coaching on flat-fee/membership client engagement models for service businesses including law firms. I MIGHT come up with some programs specifically around interest-based negotiation approaches as a separate series of calls/webinars.

If you would like to be kept informed about what we’re doing at SBC, please visit the Center’s Website and join the mailing list.

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So, in summary, the first few months of life after surrendering my former preoccupation with planning seem to have resulted in several major accomplishments that historically did not happen when I WAS planning. There may be a spiritual paradox unfolding around me—that planning might sometimes actually get in the way of accomplishing one’s goals.

Before you get all up in my face about about that last statement, know that I’m not saying one should never plan. I’m just saying that my experiment with focusing on the “what” instead of the “how” seems to be resulting in some nice progress. I still plan, but I’m trying to keep the plans flexible, and most importantly I try not to get attached to the outcome. That attachment to outcome seems (for me) to happen almost at the instant of planning. It may be different for you.

I’d love to have some more conversations about this in the comments section if you’re willing to share.

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Thanks for reading this far.

Take a look a the other great Ignite Fort Collins talks while you’re on the site.

Most of the time I reach my goals.

But, I’ve rarely felt fulfilled by those achievements.

Being a rational, over-achieving, lawyer – the thing to do was obvious.

Dream up bigger goals with UNrealistic deadlines and WORK HARDER.

Obvious. Rational. Logical.

Duh.  I’m right, right?

Well, maybe not so much. Because when I create unrealistic goals and deadlines, and work even harder to find that fulfillment in achievement, I fall short.  So, no fulfillment in achieving the realistic goals and no fulfillment in falling short of the unrealistic goals. This cycle leads to some outward success, but leaves a void inside.

Maybe you’ve been there. Maybe you’ve felt that void.

Now, I’m REALLY good a this. I’ve been practicing for about 25 years. It’s what got me through college. It’s what motivated me to work hard and get promotions & bonuses. It’s what drove me to law school and whipped me into passing a couple bar exams. This process helped me start my own firm, borrow too much money to go after a few too many unrealistic goals, fall short and go through bankruptcy. The constant feeling that setting better goals and working harder to achieve them caused a lot of damage in my life and it also created some great stuff. I’ve done some good things and I’ve helped a lot of people. So, I’m unwilling to stop creating goals

But something has to change.

I think there will be three primary changes:

1. I will strive to set fewer rather than more goals. After 25 years, I’m realizing that putting less pressure on myself just MIGHT leave room for more happiness.

2. The goals I DO set will always include an open top – in the form of either “at least” or “or better.” For example: “Average monthly revenue will increase by AT LEAST 15% for 2011.” or “Average monthly revenue will increase by 15% in 2011, OR BETTER.” This will allow me to set realistic goals, but not get trapped into limiting thoughts.

3. I’ll strive to live by a set of core principles (or maybe my “Guiding Values” – Accept, Show Up, Pay Attention, Irons in the Fire, Stewardship) instead of rules and goals in an effort pay more attention to the EXPERIENCE and FEELINGS of the present moment instead of always sitting in the future goal.

However, I’m not comfortable feeling “rudderless” and just drifting along (although drifting downstream takes way less energy than trying to paddle against the flow). At least I’m not comfortable with that YET, although maybe it IS the secret to enlightenment and daily happiness & fulfillment – complete surrender and faith in God….

So, all of my principles must be themed around what I understand to be my purpose in life – the reason God put me on the planet.

My understanding of my purpose goes something along the lines of helping people reach their potential by fueling their inner spark of divinity through creativity – more specifically, creative business. I’m here to help people align who the are inside with what they do in the world. First people need to recognize their inner spark of divinity, then it’s time to share that spark with the rest of us. The sharing is the fuel. The sharing, in our culture, CAN take the form of a business venture. When people create businesses that are motivated by the inspiration to share who they are with the rest of us, it becomes easy to do the things entrepreneurs need to do.

Are these the answers for everyone? Probably not, they might not even be the answers for me. What I DO know is that what I’ve been practicing to become very good over the last 25 years hasn’t been the answer either and I’m getting tired of that same old story of not being fulfilled by my successes or failures, so I’m going to turn some pages.

How about you?

Leave a comment. I’d love to get more input on this line of thinking.

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I’ll be doing two full 4-hour versions of my Fuel The Spark: 5 Guiding Values for Success in Law & Life CLE Ethics Programs in the next few weeks.

A couple things previous attendees have said:

“A Massage for Your Career.”

- ABA Annual Meeting Program Participant.

“The Best CLE Program I’ve Attended in 27 Years.”

- Program Attendee, Reno NV

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If you’re in Northern Colorado, attend:

Friday, December 17^th, 2010

8:30am-1:00pm

General Credits: 4.0

Ethics Credits: 3.5

Jury Assembly Room, Larimer County Court House

$60 in Advance. $75 at the Door.  All proceeds go to the Larimer County Bar Association Young Lawyers Division.

(Compare to $199 CoBar Home Study CLE Program)

REGISTRATION:

Young Lawyers Division, Larimer County Bar Association

c/o Josh Dart, Esq.

19 Old Town Square, Ste. 238

Fort Collins, CO 80524

For more info:

email: josh@dartlegal.com

phone: (970) 407-0090

NOTE: The Jury Assembly Room only has space for 50 people, so you’ll want to reserve your seat early. Tickets will go fast.

If you can’t attend in person, you can join online via a Webinar hosted by my friend Kendra Brodin and her Women Lawyers Online group.

Dates: December 8th & 9th @ 3:00-4:30PM EASTERN

Location: Online

Fee: TBD

Credits: (3-4 General & Ethics – will have final details soon)

Registration Information: kendra@kendrabrodin.com

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All Participants will receive:

1. 1. A copy of Kevin Houchin’s most popular book: Fuel the Spark, 5 Guiding Values for Success in Law and Life.
2. 2. 40-Page Fuel the Spark Action Guide to help you integrate the content into your practice and life.

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Program Description:

Sometimes we all need to look at things from a different perspective. This applies to both our personal and professional lives and how they blend into a successful and fulfilling legal career. Join Kevin Houchin for this nationally recognized Ethics program devoted to finding a more balanced perspective on the rules of professional responsibility and how we can put the rules into an easy system for finding more success in our practice and our lives. This intensive interactive workshop could be the best 3 hours you’ll invest in yourself this year.

Topics

The most profound choice any of us make is either to accept things the way they exist, or to accept our personal responsibility to change them.

PR Rules:

1.2: Scope of Representation

1.7 & 1.8: Conflict of Interest

1.13 Organization as Client

1.18 Duties to Prospective Client

Many successful people have found the simplest rule to success in anything is to “show up.” However, deciding where to show up and how to manage yourself when you get there can be a challenge.

PR Rules:

1.4: Communication

7.1: Communication Concerning a Lawyer’s Services

7.2: Advertising

7.3: Direct Contact with Prospective Clients

7.4: Communication of Fields of Practice

One of the hardest things to do in legal practice and in life is to truly pay attention. We get pulled in so many directions, so how can be do a better job of staying in the moment and how does that help our clients and colleagues?

PR Rules:

2.1: Advisor

5.x: Series

It’s easy to get bored and it happens to us all, so how can we avoid boredom and stay sharp? The answer is to keep multiple irons in the fire at once, paying attention to each in turn.

PR Rules:

1.1: Competence

1.3: Diligence

True fulfillment in legal practice and in life comes when you take the time to give back. Stewardship is the combination of giving ones time, talent, or treasure. This portion of the program helps define how you’ll make your greatest contribution.

PR Rules:

6.1: Voluntary Pro Bono Publico Service

6.2: Accepting Appointments

Faculty

Kevin E. Houchin is a different kind of lawyer. First, he has a fine art degree in graphic design and a dozen years of brand development and small business consulting before going back to law school. He uses both his marketing and legal skills every day in his efforts to help creative people reach their potential.

Kevin counsels creative people about how to maximize their creativity, build their businesses, and protect their intellectual property. Discussions tend to turn toward relationships and creative collaboration often, so sometimes Kevin plays the role of business and life coach in addition to attorney and marketing consultant. He truly enjoys the role of trusted advisor to his clients.

Kevin is the author of the book Fuel the Spark: 5 Guiding Values for Success in Law School and Beyond (March 2009). He is also the author of the forthcoming book The Secrets of Creative Business. He contributed a chapter on the legal issues of social media in the best-selling book Twitter Power, and is featured in KaChing, both by Joel Comm, published by Wiley Brothers Publishing.

Kevin is expert at helping people reach their creative potential, whether as an entrepreneur or as an attorney. He is the Founder of The Space Between Center for Creative Spirit in Business – an organization to helping entrepreneurs including attorneys align who they are with what they do. In addition to working with clients, Kevin writes a regular column for the leading business journal in Northern Colorado, blogs regularly at his several sites, and enjoys one of the top legal followings on Twitter.com. He speaks regularly for creative entrepreneurial business, continuing legal education, and law school audiences throughout the United States.

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Of course I jumped at the opportunity. Then I jumped on a plane. I’d been hoping for an opportunity to get to San Francisco on business ever since Missing the Flight.  This was it.

I was picked up at the Airport by Mary Kay (my biological mother) with whom I would be spending the first time together ever in my almost 42 years of life. We got to spend some great time.

The next morning I was able to hook up with one of the Members of The Space Between Center for Creative Spirit in Business lawyer mastermind group, Kristen Kuse and have our first in-person chat. Then off to the venue.

The presentations were given in a segmented area of the Exhibit Floor of the Annual Meeting. Mine is titled: “The F-Word Manifesto” and deals with 4 F-Words: Fear, Fail, Flat & Free.  Here’s the presentation.

You can pop over to the F-Word Manifesto Web site and sign up to receive the freebies.  Also take advantage of scheduling a 20-minute “Ask Anything” conversation with me.  I’m convinced that my flat fee model will work in any service business if you do a little homework, get past your fear, and have a little faith.  I’d love to help you figure out how to implement this system in your business too.

You can find the other ABA Ignite presentations here.

I’ll be doing a similar presentation of The F-Word Manifesto talk at Ignite Fort Collins #6 on September 22st.  You can get your Free tickets here.  The presentation I’ll do that night will be tailored for service businesses in general rather than just for lawyers.  I hope to see you there or talk to you soon on a 20-minute Ask Anything call.

Replies & Comments Welcome.

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