Check out our November newsletter!
November 2017
365 Canal Street, Suite 1680, New Orleans, LA 70130
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504-894-9653
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www.SmileyFirm.com
FAITH, FAMILY, AND FOOTBALL WHY GRATITUDE IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL
Gratitude is a special thing, and there are stats to prove it. Did you know that grateful people sleep better, get better grades, boast improved immune systems, and report higher levels of overall happiness? There are even stats that prove gratitude is good for our hearts, literally. Why is that? Because our minds, bodies, and souls are connected. I think that’s just the way God programmed us. Life isn’t perfect, but at the end of a year in which we experienced severe storms, economic hardship, and political turmoil, it’s nice to have this season to show thanks for what we have. I know it will only help us feel better. “Life isn’t perfect, but at the end of a year in which we experienced severe storms, economic hardship, and political turmoil, it’s nice to have this season to show thanks for what we have.” I have plenty to be thankful for. First of all, I love the weather on Thanksgiving. It’s hitting that sweet spot where we get a break from the sweltering heat, but it isn’t cold or too rainy. It’s nice enough that we not only hang around outside, but we cook the centerpiece of our Thanksgiving meal out there too. For the last few years, we’ve done the deep fried turkey thing — a southern delicacy. It’s quite an ordeal, but if you’ve ever tried it, you know there’s no going back. When indoors, we spend time watching football, eating food, and enjoying each other’s company. As I mentioned in my newsletter last year, my wife, bless her heart, is an Alabama girl. I’m an LSU man through and through, and most days of the year, my wife couldn’t care less. But every November, when the purple and gold take the field with the Crimson Tide, she gets all amped up. I ask her, “You could root for any other team. Does it have to be Alabama?” She just scoffs. Luckily, they don’t play on Thanksgiving, so our football watching goes off without a hitch.
We’re blessed to have family in the area we get to spend special moments with. On holidays, we travel around to see them. In the end, everything we do is for our wives, our kids, our mothers and fathers, and future generations of our families. There’s nothing in the world that means more to me than my family — not even work or LSU football. Speaking of work, we have plenty to be thankful for here at Smiley Law Firm. We have the most amazing and supportive clients on the planet. I’m grateful to each of you for making Smiley Law Firm possible, and I pledge to do everything within my strength to fight for your cases in the coming year. I couldn’t have made it through this year without the help of an incredible team, either. Bradley, Sarah, Matt, Andy, Amanda, Meriem, and Jack have stepped up to the plate on everything that came our way in 2017. As I look back on our progress, I fully believe we’re better than we were last Thanksgiving, and I’m grateful for the opportunities we have to grow. Most of all, I’m grateful to work with people I’d trust with my life. As you cook your turkeys, set your tables, and gather your loved ones together for your Thanksgiving feast, I pray that you can be filled with a sense of gratitude for everything in life that is truly important. Faith, family, food, football — this is the life of a Louisianian. Despite our trials as individuals and a nation, if we have these things, we have everything.
–Seth Smiley
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A Boutique New Orleans Law Firm Resolving Your Legal Matters
3 Family Activities Unless you have a child auditioning for “MasterChef Junior,” you’re probably not going to let the little ones cook the turkey this Thanksgiving. Just because the kitchen might be off limits, though, doesn’t mean you can’t find a few creative ways to make the holiday extra special for your kids. Spice up Thanksgiving with these fun, family-friendly activities. If you have a big family, you are probably familiar with the Thanksgiving tradition of the kids’ table. It may be smaller than the grown-ups’ seating arrangement, but it doesn’t have to be any less special. Turn your kids’ table into a canvas for a colorful, creative dining experience. To do this, use craft or art paper to cover the table. Tape everything down tightly and provide crayons and colored pencils for every place setting. If you want to add some extra holiday spirit, put the drawing supplies in empty cranberry sauce and pumpkin cans. Of course, Thanksgiving isn’t just about delicious food. It’s also about reflecting on the parts of our lives we are grateful for. Teaching kids about gratitude is the most valuable Thanksgiving lesson. Bring that concept to life with a gratitude mobile. Grab some colored paper circles — or cut them out — and have your children write down things that they are thankful for. A silver Sharpie is great for this. Punch holes in the tops of the circles and run string Here at Smiley Law Firm, we assist companies of all sizes, from small startups to Fortune 500 companies. We understand the important relationship between internal and outside counsel. Without outside counsel, you open yourself up to some serious risks as a company. Here are some examples of when it’s best to call in help. Fitful Results No matter what business you own, unexpected changes happen. Maybe your marketing team has been on fire lately and you’re getting flooded with new clients and customers. It’s a good problem to have, but are you prepared to handle them? Sometimes key team members leave the company. For example, women in important positions may go on maternity leave. If one of these problems leaves your company reeling like the out-of- control assembly line in an “I Love Lucy” episode, your legal department will reflect it. As a business owner, there’s no worse feeling than turning away business because you can’t handle it. Have a smart and diligent team of outside attorneys in your corner so you can avoid the pitfalls. Coloring-Book Tablecloths Gratitude Mobiles
for Thanksgiving
through them. Tie the other end of the string to a coat hanger or embroidery hoop and hang it from the ceiling.
Stuff the Turkey Game
Want to get the kids outside so you can get to work in the kitchen? Create a Thanksgiving-themed game for them to play outside while you prep the stuffing and put the turkey in the oven. To create a holiday-themed “Stuff the Turkey” game, all you need is a few paper bags. We’ll bet you have some left over from shopping. Use two small bags stuffed with scrap paper to create legs and glue them to a larger bag folded to look like the body of a turkey. Now that you have your turkey, you need some balls to stuff it with. Anything soft and baseball-sized will work, even some balled-up paper. Kids will take turns trying to toss the balls into the turkey, scoring points for every shot made.
Signs Your Company Is at Risk
You’re Constantly Improvising to Satisfy Clients
Maybe you represent developers on real estate projects, but you only provide partial construction solutions. They need more from you, and you don’t want to send them to a competitor. Instead, you volunteer to work outside of your expertise in order to keep their business. That’s a clear sign you need to team up with someone who can help when you’re in uncharted waters. You’re Getting Employee Complaints Are you hearing rumors, directly or indirectly? This will happen. Managing people is hard. But nothing upsets employees faster than a crushing workload. The stress may be so overbearing that they leave the company. Don’t wait for them to sound the alarm. Observe their behavior. Do you see more gossip, less discipline, or higher turnover? It’s normal to outsource all these legal needs to a competent law firm. We can handle these issues quickly and competently. Don’t let your legal needs be filled by a human resource department.
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BOOK REVIEW: ‘THE POWER OF HABIT’ Gives You the Tools to Change Unwanted Behavior
instill in your staff go a long way in determining the success of your company. Duhigg looks at organizations ranging from huge corporations like Target to the more intimate structure of NFL teams. If you’re not creating positive habits in your staff, you’re not doing your all as a leader. If you notice a way to replace a bad operational habit with a good one, you’ll improve productivity and employee happiness.
Habits affect us in every aspect of our lives, from our offices to our houses. Whether it’s nail biting, eating too many sweets, or putting off tasks until the last minute, we all have habits we wish we could break. But how do you escape a behavior you know little about? In his book “The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business,” New York Times reporter Charles Duhigg examines the structure of habit, its underlying causes, and the impact of habit on our careers and personal lives. The first part of “The Power of Habit” investigates what Duhigg calls the “habit loop.” This loop comprises the cue (the situation that leads to habitual behavior), the routine (the behavior itself), and the reward
Finally, in one of the most instructive sections in any book in recent memory, Duhigg details four steps to changing any habit. First, you pinpoint the routine. Then, you interrogate the reward you receive from that routine. After that, you isolate the situations that cue your behavior. Finally, you make a plan to change the behavior. Self-belief is a huge part of this process. As Duhigg says, “You have to actually believe in your capacity to change for habits to permanently change.” With the tools and examples Charles Duhigg details in “The Power of Habit,” you’ll be able to take control of actions you thought were unbreakable. In both business and life, there’s hardly a more valuable asset.
(the feeling of satisfaction provided by the behavior). Breaking down this loop, Duhigg argues, is the key to altering behavior. If you don’t understand the “why” for an action, it becomes much harder to escape that action itself. “Once you break a habit into its components,” Duhigg writes, “you can fiddle with the gears.”
From there, Duhigg zooms out to take a look at the habits of successful organizations. As a business owner, the habits you
HAVE A LAUGH!
SLOW COOKER Sweet Potato Soup
Ingredients
• 5 cups chicken or vegetable stock • 1 cup coconut milk • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 pounds sweet potatoes, roughly chopped • 1 onion, chopped • 2 stalks celery, sliced • 2 medium carrots, chopped • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
Instructions
1. Place all the ingredients except for the coconut milk in a slow cooker. 2. Season everything to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. 3. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 4 hours. 4. Puree everything until smooth, using a blender or an immersion blender. 5. Add the coconut milk, give everything a good stir, and cook for another 30 minutes. 6. Adjust the seasoning and serve warm.
504-894-9653 • 3
A Boutique New Orleans Law Firm Resolving Your Legal Matters
365 Canal Street, Suite 1680 New Orleans, LA 70130 Phone: 504-894-9653 Fax: 866-761-8934 www.SmileyFirm.com OPEN: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1 2 3 4
Why Gratitude Is Good for the Soul
3 Family Activities for Thanksgiving Signs Your Company Is at Risk
Change Unwanted Behavior With ‘The Power of Habit’ Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Soup Recipe
Iconic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloons
Iconic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloons
Thanksgiving is a holiday full of traditions, from turkey and stuffing to football and naps. Since 1924, the Macy’s Parade has grown to become not only a Thanksgiving staple but also the world’s largest parade. Over 3.5 million people attended the parade last year, with another 20 million tuning in from home. The main attraction is always the massive character balloons, which first graced the skies in 1927. Over the decades, some of these balloons have become nearly as famous as the character they depict. Felix the Cat When the Felix the Cat balloon appeared in 1931, it set the standard for all characters to follow. Sadly, the original balloon got tangled in wires and caught on fire, so it has been lost to history. Felix’s influence on the parade is so immense, however, that when Macy’s brought him back in 2016 for the parade’s 90th anniversary, they recreated his original design. Without Felix’s debut, the parade might look a lot different today.
Snoopy When it comes to balloon characters, none is more famous than the classic “Peanuts” beagle. His first balloon floated through the sky in 1968, and he’s been a regular fixture ever since. Charles Schultz’s famous pooch holds the record for most variations in a parade (eight) and most total appearances (40). Though Snoopy doesn’t come out every year, he usually closes the show when he does. Pikachu The Pokémon mascot didn’t appear until 2001, but he’s become a star attraction, showing up every year since. Bright, expressive, and impossible to miss, Pikachu checks off all the boxes for a successful balloon character. For 16 years, those who predicted that Pokémon was just a fad have gotten a big, yellow reminder of just how wrong they were.
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