- I’m continuing to run the Women Who Wow series throughout the year because Women’s History Month was shadowed by the COVID-19 outbreak and there are just too many great women to fit in the span of 30 days.
Today’s Woman Who Wows is Robyn Addis, the Chief Operating Officer at Legal Internet Solutions Incorporated, and has a long career in operations and marketing. I met Robyn like I met so many others in this series, through our volunteer work for the Legal Marketing Association.
Learn more about her.
What do you love most about your job?
I run the core business functions for a boutique digital marketing agency that specializes in websites and digital marketing campaigns for law firms. We help law firms with lean or no marketing support achieve their strategic marketing goals by providing outsourced legal marketing and digital marketing solutions.
What’s most exciting about my job is my ability to quickly develop strategies and plans and implement them for maximum effectiveness. On a daily basis I develop strategic marketing plans, model profitability and revenue streams, prepare human resource and professional development plans, and create operational processes and policies. It’s not just different day by day – it can be different hour by hour. I love the variety, challenge and opportunity that comes with everything I work on, and I absolutely love seeing the plans and strategies I develop go quickly into action. It’s incredibly empowering and rewarding!
Any advice to young women who want to succeed in the workplace?
Put yourself in a position of visibility. Both literally and figuratively. Speak up – ask for feedback, share your ideas even if you’re nervous, be open to constructive criticism. But also literally – don’t be afraid to be seen. I heard once that women – even high-powered women in positions of authority – tend to sit on the outskirts of a board room, when they are presented with the option of sitting at the table or staying in the background. Do. Not. Do. That. Only you can take your seat at the table. Be visible. Use your voice.
Tell us about a woman you look up to and why?
Kelly Breslin Enache (CMBDO at Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr) is a woman I highly regard with incredible respect. When Kelly and I were both working at Dechert, she as Director of Marketing and me as Firmwide Events Manager, I faced a number of difficult situations as a new, young manager with a staff of professionals, some almost double my age.
Kelly guided me through some very challenging leadership situations and gave me some of the greatest advice I’ve ever received in my management career: handle each situation with empathy; hold your staff accountable for their responsibilities (don’t step in and do it for them because that might be easier); and be clear and consistent when you communicate expectations and feedback.
In every management situation I’ve faced since then, I’ve remembered this advice and worked to keep Kelly’s guidance top of mind. She is not only creative, logical and supportive, she is hands down the best leader with whom I will ever have the opportunity to work. On a regular basis I find myself asking “what would Kelly do,” and that helps guide my approach and thinking.