JAN 2019
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A t the end of last year, we held our annual staff dinner. It’s a chance to relax and unwind with each other. We spend a lot of time together, but the majority of it is in the office. It’s awesome to be able to get together for a nice meal and plenty of laughs. As we sat around the table, I couldn’t help but reflect on what an incredible staff we have here at Emery Law Office. Steve, Keri, and Holly are the definition of a dream team. To be able to work alongside such a wonderful group of people is something I’ll never take for granted. “Wow,” I thought to myself, “I’m one lucky attorney.” LOOKINGFORWARD TO A GREAT YEAR WITH THE BEST TEAM I COULD ASK FOR
was an attorney before, but running your own firm requires a lot more than just skilled legal work. You have to get your name out there, define your brand, and focus on an unending stream of tasks. Those are major accomplishments, and I’ve been lucky to have had mentors and peers lend me a hand along the way.
That said, our clients are the real reason for our success. They are the people we serve, and their opinions matter more than anyone else’s. From our
Keri has been with our firm since before day one, so I mean it when I say I don’t know where we’d be without her. Hiring the right people is a skill I’ve had to learn since
earliest days, I knew we needed to create a client advisory board to get firsthand insight on what our clients are experiencing. It was one of the best decisions we made as a practice, and we promise to never stop listening to the people who matter most to us.
opening my firm. I’ll be honest, I’ve made a few mistakes, but that is what makes me value our current team all the more. I know how hard it is to find the right people, so I realize what we have is truly special. What I learned about hiring people last year is that you need candidates who have the same values as you. I pride myself on the welcoming, personal experience I provide to my clients, and every member of our staff needs to share the desire to offer that same service. An attorney could have all the skills in
“As we sat around the table, I couldn’t help but reflect on what an
That’s why we always encourage clients to review us and give us feedback. If we have room to improve, we want to know about it. Learning from our clients is what will set us up for the best possible year in 2019.
incredible staff we have here at Emery Law Office. Steve, Keri, and Holly are the definition of a dream team.”
It’s shaping up to be a momentous year for Emery Law Office. Thankfully, I have a team in place that’s more than equipped to handle the growing practice. As we enter 2019, everyone at Emery Law Office resolves to continue to put clients first. We’re still learning a few things, but caring about our clients has been integral to our practice since we opened — and that will never change!
the world, but if they don’t make clients feel secure, they’ll never last. It’s not enough to say they care; they have to show it. If somebody isn’t as dedicated as I am to giving clients their all, I don’t want them at Emery Law Office.
-Melissa Emery
The progress we’ve experienced in our hiring process is an example of the growth I’ve enjoyed as a business owner since opening up my own practice. I
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SOCIALLY SECURE SOCIAL MEDIA REMINDERS FOR PARENTS
2. Limit the nudity. Everyone loves a beach day, but think twice before posting swimsuit or skinny-dipping pictures. Opt to post safer photos, like the family posing prior to fun in the sun. 3. Check your settings. Your privacy settings may be exposing your family to more people than you know, and if you feel the need to share every minute of your child’s day online, making these settings airtight will protect your children and their reputations. 1. Tinybeans.com is a secure photo-sharing website for parents of babies and young children. The digital photo album app allows you to share photos with only the people you choose. 2. Create a separate, secure group on Facebook. Family, friends, or coworkers in closed groups can still fawn over their little ones in a personal, safe setting. Despite the dangers your digital life can elicit, you don’t have to avoid the digital world completely. Social media is still a great tool for families to stay connected, as long as you take precautions. Go ahead and brag about your kids online — just be safe and considerate of your child’s wishes. Consider some of these safe alternatives to regular public posting:
Social media has been making the world smaller than ever. The distance among cross-country relatives and friends shrinks with each post or Skype call. And instant updates from loved ones are particularly valuable during the holidays. That Christmas morning video call means Grandma and Grandpa get to see their grandkids in their new holiday outfits, but so can online predators. According to digital and safety experts, half of the photos filtered onto the darknet are stolen from parents’ social media accounts. If these predators are privy to your photos, they’re also able to snag your location and other sensitive information, putting you and your children at physical risk as well. On a less disturbing note, social media content is permanent. Even after you delete a post or a photo, it leaves a digital footprint that could follow your child throughout their education and could even affect job interviews or future relationships. It’s still possible for you to foster a sense of privacy in the digital age, but it’s important to respect what your child deems private information. After all, it’s their future. Consider these rules before you share. 1. Ask your child’s permission. If they can speak, then they can speak for themselves. Children love to see photos of themselves, but they may also be aware of what they are and aren’t comfortable with, even at a young age.
TO HELP YOU BRAVE THE WINTER WEATHER FREE ICE SCRAPERS FROM EMERY LAW OFFICE
The handle expands and contracts, allowing you to wipe your entire windshield without having to do laps around your vehicle. We’ll be giving away five scrapers for free anytime it snows, hails, or sleets this winter. All you have to do is show up at our office whenever there is precipitation. We’ll post on our Facebook page (Facebook.com/ EmeryLawOffice) every time a giveaway begins, but by reading this newsletter, you’ll get a head start on the competition. Nobody should brave the winter roads without a clean windshield. If your scraper could use an upgrade, be sure to stop by our office the next time the weather’s rotten.
A good ice scraper is one of those things you realize the value of the second you don’t have one. Trying to clear frost and ice off your car with a substandard scraper is like trying to clean your floor with a toothbrush — it may work eventually, but it’s going to be a hassle to get the job done. In an effort to make the Kentuckiana winter a little less pesky for our clients, we’ll be giving away deluxe telescoping ice scrapers every time there is inclement weather. Our scrapers come equipped with everything you need to get your car ready for the road. One end is a heavy-duty brush; the other is a high-quality scraper.
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HAVE A LAUGH!
• 1 can chicken broth • 1 bunch of green onions, chopped • 1/4 teaspoon sugar • 2 tablespoons soy sauce • 3 tablespoons cornstarch • 1/3 cup cold water • 3 eggs • 2 tablespoons cold water DROP SOUP Inspired by allrecipes.com INGREDIENTS SIMPLE EGG 1. Heat chicken broth and green onions in a large pot over medium-high heat. 2. Mix sugar, soy sauce, cornstarch, and 1/3 cup cold water in a bowl until smooth. 3. Reduce heat to medium and stir soy sauce mixture into the DIRECTIONS
WANT TO EAT HEALTHIER IN 2019?
WE WANT TO HELP!
As we enter 2019, many of you are drafting up New Year’s resolutions. If I had to guess, I’d say a lot of those resolutions have to do with health and fitness. I’ve been there myself — my non-work resolutions are almost always about my health — and the numbers don’t lie. According to a YouGov poll, “eating better” and “exercising more” are the most popular resolutions by a country mile. If you fall in the “eating better” camp, we have a gift to help you turn your resolution into your reality. Eating healthy can feel like a daunting task, especially with fast food restaurants on every corner and processed foods on every shelf at the grocery store. According to author and food scholar Michael Pollan, nearly 20 percent of food consumed in the U.S. is eaten in the car. That’s a pretty alarming statistic, but also unsurprising. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve scrambled to eat lunch in the car while hustling back to work. I’m sure many of you can relate. One of the best ways to improve your eating habits in 2019 is to pack your own lunch. There are so many reasons why it’s better than the drive-thru. For one, you limit the amount of sugar, fat, and sodium you put into your body. Even if you liberally salt your own food, you will never reach the sodium levels in pre-made products. Similarly, making your own lunch will force you to consciously choose what goes into your lunch carrier and your body. Speaking of your lunch carrier, we’d love to give you a brand new one for free to help you eat better this year. They’re easy to carry, keep food cool, and will show everyone at work you’re serious about your health. To receive one, all you have to do is email your resolution to us at info@emerylawoffice. com. We want to help you make 2019 your healthiest year yet. Consider our lunch carrier to be a little boost to get you started.
broth. Boil soup on high for 1 minute, then reduce heat to medium-low. 4. Beat 3 eggs with 2 tablespoons cold water. 5. Using a fork, stir egg mixture
into soup and cook until eggs are opaque, about 2 minutes.
WE WANT YOU TO THINK OF US AS YOUR LAW FIRM. If you have a legal matter that needs attention, let us know. If we can’t handle the matter, we will refer you to a firm that can. Please feel free to refer us to your friends and family for their legal needs. We welcome the opportunity to help.
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BIG PLANS FOR 2019 1
STAYING SAFE ON SOCIAL MEDIA HOW TO GET A FREE ICE SCRAPER 2 LET US HELP YOU WITH YOUR RESOLUTIONS SIMPLE EGG DROP SOUP 3 WHY START THE NEW YEAR IN WINTER? 4
T he month of January kicks off by welcoming the new year — there are countdowns, fireworks, and of course, the ball drop in a freezing-cold Times Square. But why? Why do we start our calendars when much of the U.S. is in the dead of winter? Why January? The short answer is Julius Caesar and Roman politics. THE ORIGIN OF NEW YEAR’S DAY WHY JANUARY?
and gates. What better month to celebrate new beginnings? Under Caesar and subsequent rulers, the Roman Empire expanded its reach, carrying its calendar with it. While much of Europe adopted Caesar’s calendar, New Year’s Day remained a hot-button issue for centuries. Thanks in part to the spread of Christianity and to the colder conditions in Northern Europe, there was a lot of resistance to the January start date. Religious leaders saw it as a pagan holiday, and much of Europe chose to restart the calendar on March 25, during the Feast of Annunciation. Much of Catholic Europe officially recognized Jan. 1 as the start of the new year after Pope Gregory reformed the solar calendar again, correcting certain mathematical errors made in Caesar’s day. There were still holdouts, however. In fact, England
The calendar had long been a political tool in Rome. Depending on who was in power, Roman pontifices would add or subtract entire weeks from the year, manually adjusting the term limits of elected officials. As you could imagine, this caused a lot of chaos, because months frequently slipped out of time with the changing seasons. After becoming emperor, Julius Caesar brought about some much-needed reforms. Inspired by the Egyptian solar calendar, Caesar fixed the Roman year at 365 days and instituted the leap year to keep months aligned with the solstices. He moved the new year from the spring to the day that elected officials traditionally began their year- long terms, Jan. 1.
and its American colonies continued to celebrate New Year’s Day in March until 1752.
So there you have it — we were very close to having our fireworks celebrations in lovely spring weather. Ultimately, the ubiquity of the Gregorian calendar won out, as the demands of our increasingly interconnected world made a shared calendar a necessity. So if you struggle to start your New Year’s resolutions this winter, blame Julius Caesar.
This choice carried spiritual significance, since January was named for Janus, god of doors
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