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OCTOBER 2020
4315 W. Lovers Lane, Suite A, Dallas, TX 75209 | 1900 W. Illinois Avenue, Suite 101, Midland, TX 79701 www.buttonlawfirm.com | 214-888-2216 HOT-BUTTON ISSUES
LIFE LESSONS FROM HENRY FORD
How Button Law Firm’s Systems Kick-Started my Camping Dreams
On Oct. 1, 1908, the Ford Motor Company unveiled its very first Model T. The car cost $825 (about $23,000 today), had a 22-horsepower four-cylinder engine, and was made from lightweight French steel. But looking back, what’s most impressive about the Model T isn’t the car itself — it’s the revolutionary assembly line system that would soon be used to build it. Henry Ford is famous for creating the first moving assembly line. As history tells it, when his company put the Model T on the market, Ford was frustrated by how much it cost. He wanted everyone to be able to afford a car, so he started looking at ways to make the manufacturing process cheaper and more efficient. The assembly line was the answer! Before he put the system into effect in 1913, it took Ford’s crew 12 hours to assemble a Model T. Afterward, it took them just 2 hours and 30 minutes. By 1925, they’d perfected the system, and the Model T was selling for a meager $260 (close to a third of the original cost). Impressive, right? I think we can all learn a lot from the innovative spirit of Henry Ford. His story shows just how valuable systems can be and how big of a difference they can make for a company and its clients. Here at The Button Law Firm, we’ve taken that to heart and implemented new systems since day one. Our team and I have adopted a saying: “Discipline equals freedom.” It means that disciplined, automatic systems can create freedom and flexibility in our lives. As I mentioned in last month’s newsletter, the book “Traction” has been a big help in this department. After reading it, Ashley and I sat down and figured out where our bottlenecks were, what we could outsource, and how we could train and hire better. Now, we finally have extremely efficient systems in place and the right people in the right seats at our office. Everyone on our team knows exactly what they’re responsible for and what needs to be
done to handle any situation. This keeps things from falling into chaos during an emergency and helps all of us feel comfortable in our roles. Of course, we’re still constantly revising and updating these systems, and everyone has pitched in with problem-solving. Thanks to these systems and our awesome team, Ashley and I are able to take time off when we need it to relax, recharge, and really think about the future of the firm. Ashley vacationed in Florida this summer, and I plan to take a bit of time away this fall to visit a few of our state and national parks. When I was a kid, my parents took me and my sister camping almost every weekend, and we stayed out for days or weeks at a time. It felt like we were always on some kind of adventure, sleeping in a tent or RV and exploring everything nature had to offer. I loved that lifestyle as a kid but got away from it a bit when I grew up. Finally, I decided to invest in some new camping gear and get back out there. I am planning to hit three parks this fall: Palo Duro Canyon State Park in the panhandle, Inks Lake State Park in the Texas Hill Country, and Beavers Bend State Park on Broken Bow Lake in Oklahoma. Palo Duro is the second-largest canyon in the U.S., and I’ve always wanted to check it out. My sister lives nearby and is having a baby this fall, so I’m planning to visit family while I am there, too. Inks Lake is a famous fishing spot in Texas, while Broken Bow (in the Wichita Mountains) was my favorite place to camp as a kid. It’s full of lakes, rivers, mountain biking trails, hunting spots, and fishing holes. I can’t wait to go back. In a way, I suppose I owe this fall’s camping agenda to Henry Ford. I’m glad that he had the perspective to create the assembly line — that one shift of perspective set a cascade of innovation that led all the way to The Button Law Firm.
–Russell Button
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HAPPY ONE YEAR, DESI! OUR INTAKE SPECIALIST REFLECTS ON HER TIME WITH THE FIRM
A year ago almost to the day, we hired Desiree Moody after she decided to leave a big commercial law firm that was making her miserable.
As our intake specialist, Desi handles our client relationships, making sure our attorneys have the facts they need for each case. She also puts together client biographies, works on damages, and communicates with health care providers and other agencies. It’s a big job that was made more complicated in 2020 by two surprises: a pandemic and a pregnancy. “If I was at my previous job before BLF, I would have been out of work. But Russell really took care of us and was totally calm about the whole COVID-19 situation,” Desi says. “My first trimester came when COVID-19 first started. Thankfully, we were working from home, and
bed. I’m not even being dramatic — I would throw up six times per day.”
Even though she was sick and exhausted, Desi continued to do incredible work, and we supported her every step of the way. “I think that says a lot about the employer you work for — that they genuinely care about you,” Desi says. “Russell and the team even got me a really nice HALO BassiNest for the baby, which I didn’t think anyone was going to get for me because it’s pretty pricey. I was hormonal and emotional, just crying and saying, ‘You all shouldn’t have done this!’ It has been an amazing year and that’s just one example.” Desi brings an incredible amount of personality, energy, and drive to our team. As Russell puts it, “She’s fantastic!” We can’t wait to meet baby Leo this November, and we look forward to working with Desi for years to come.
“It’s literally night and day,” Desi says. “Working at that firm, they just didn’t care about their clients. They would clock in at 8 a.m., leave at 5 p.m., and not think about the clients for the weekend or answer emails or texts. If you were going to the emergency room because you’d just gotten in a wreck and might have a brain injury and you were scared and emailing your counsel, they just weren’t a firm that cared for you. Here, we’re very personal with our clients. We want them to know we’re here for them and that they can text us if they need us.”
I had my laptop in
CREATE A LIFE THAT HELPS YOU PERFORM YOUR BEST WHAT OUR TEAM HAS LEARNED FROM PROFESSIONAL BOXERS
Did you know that professional boxers train at night? That’s right — instead of getting up each morning and stepping into the ring, they bide their time until evening sets in. Why? Well, it turns out that there are mental benefits to practicing something at the same time of day that you’ll perform it. Because boxers fight at night, that means they train at night. Taking a leaf out of their book, we do something very similar to prepare our attorneys for trial here at The Button Law Firm. As we’ve mentioned in previous newsletters, we have a habit of autopsying our successes and failures. Whenever we resolve a big case or finish a project or deposition, we discuss what went well and what was difficult. Then we use that discussion to figure out what we should repeat and what we should change and fine-tune to do a better job next time. This exercise is critical to our improvement as a team, and to take it to the next level, we’ve started doing it in the evening (during the same time frame as a trial). Taking this leaf out of the boxer’s handbook has helped us improve our focus. At this point, our firm’s entire schedule is planned around those meetings. We prepare in the morning, have focus groups in the afternoon, and then do our autopsies starting at 5:15 p.m. Sometimes they run as late as 9 p.m., just like a trial. The repetition helps keep us in fighting shape, and having a concrete training schedule creates urgency. Like athletes ramping up for a big
event, we set internal deadlines and goals, then hold ourselves accountable for moving the ball forward. Whether we’re working on a webinar or shooting a video, adding that pressure helps us stay motivated to get it done. Next time you’re struggling with productivity, try following in the footsteps of a boxer. You might be surprised by how much your performance improves!
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www.buttonlawfirm.com
“My experience with The Button Law Firm has been
amazing. They took my son’s case with no problems
and got my son the justice that he deserved, and
they were patient and respectful and honest with
me about how my son’s case would go. They walked
me through step by step. I am so blessed to have
them as our lawyers and definitely will recommend
them to anyone I know if they need good lawyers .”
_Anastasia Jenkins
BUTTON LAW HIGHLIGHT REEL
EASY TORTELLINI SOUP
SERVES 8
INGREDIENTS • 1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed • 1 cup chopped onion • 2 cloves of garlic, minced • 5 cups beef broth • 1/2 cup water • 1 can crushed tomatoes • 1/2 tbs chopped basil • 1/2 tsp dried oregano • 8 oz of tomato sauce • 1 1/2 cups of chopped zucchini • 3 tbs chopped parsley • 8 oz of tortellini pasta
DIRECTIONS
1. In a 5 quart pot or Dutch oven, brown sausage. Remove sausage and drain. 2. Saute onions and garlic.
Ashley and Calvin’s anniversary road trip to the beach
Stir in all ingredients except tortellini. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Skim the fat, add in
tortellini for 10 minutes, and serve.
A BLF surprise for Rosie’s birthday
Harley’s first day of virtual kindergarten
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4315 W. Lovers Lane, Suite A Dallas, Texas 75209
www.buttonlawfirm.com | 214-888-2216
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
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How Henry Ford Helped Russell Go Camping
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Our Intake Specialist Celebrates One Year With the Firm How to Create a Life that Helps You Perform Your Best
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Testimonial Button Law Highlight Reel Easy Tortellini Soup
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The Man Behind the Button Law Video Camera
THE MAN BEHIND THE BUTTON LAWVIDEO CAMERA
Meet Jesse Nogales of Junior Productions
Earlier this year, Russell decided it was time to upgrade our videos and social media. So, he started looking
says. “I grew up loving it ever since my first job, which was working weddings at like 16.”
That tactic helps him connect with people from all walks of life and truly get to know their expectations. So far, we’ve worked with Jesse on videos covering everything from the ins-and-outs of sending kids back to daycare to the steps you should take after a car crash. To watch those videos and pick up useful tips, visit our website (ButtonLawFirm.com), YouTube channel (The Button Law Firm PLLC), or Facebook page (Facebook.com/ButtonLawFirm).
In the last few years, Jesse has moved away from events and instead focused on digital marketing. He works with law firms like ours but also other businesses, including boutiques, event venues, and schools. He also takes jobs shooting music videos or reels for personal trainers. Jesse’s classic-meets-modern approach includes old-school shooting equipment and rare editing fonts, but the thing that really sets him apart is his approach to getting to know his clients. “When I meet with new clients, they usually come out shocked that we spent a two-hour meeting together just hanging out, but that’s really the best way for me to figure out how to help them creatively,” Jesse says.
around for someone who could create content with an artistic, professional touch. He found Jesse Nogales seven months ago, and his brilliant work behind the camera will take our videos to the next level! Jesse has been running his videography business, Junior Productions, for a little over a year, but he’s worked in the industry for a decade. His father, who’s also named Jesse Nogales, is a videographer too, so he was immersed in shooting from a young age. “I’m 23, so I started when I was 13 or 14 years old going to different events, photo shoots, and video shoots as a kid,” Jesse
If you’re in the market for a videographer, we can’t recommend Jesse highly enough!
To find out more about his work or contact him for a job, check out Junior Productions on Instagram at @ junior_prod_.
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