Get Rice: Ronnie O'Brien Rice, Ph.D., Lawyer

 I realize that 2020 has been a year that many people wish they could chug like a bottle of scotch. However, the truth of the matter is that 2020 is still a part of your life. It is important to learn how to embrace the ups, downs, highs, and lows to improve your situation.   We are only able to control a certain amount of the circumstances that occur in our life. Yet, we do have the ability to control our reactions when things do not go as planned. No, my friends, this is not one of my “feel good” posts. This is a reality check, a get off your butt and be productive in your life post.  If you are reading this a few years from 2020, understand that the United States just voted, and a new President will be inaugurated in January. Some people are upset and frustrated while others are happy with the choice of our country’s new leader. Regardless of your perspective, you are still in control of your life.  Life is what you make it . Does life throw some curve balls causing you to miss your

We all know about great companies like Apple, Google, and Microsoft, but are we aware of their failures? Of course, we should celebrate the big and small wins. Nevertheless, we need not overlook the failures that were faced by ourselves or others. I am guilty of going off and being a little peeved (Tony Robbins) when things do not go as expected or planned. However, I think that is not an excuse to try to focus on the failure, how to rectify it, and ensure that it does not happen again. How many times in our lives have we failed and made attempts to cover it up without getting to the source of the issue? We believe that if we just focus on our strengths and positives, the negative aspects of our personalities will just disappear. We must face failure.  Most of the time, facing our failures is easier than facing someone else’s. We know the right things to say and which buttons to push with ourselves. Yet what happens when we must talk to our colleagues, employees, or people wh

Now I know you wondering what in the world I am talking about, but yeah you read correctly. Let’s discuss the new trend today……relationships that end in restraining orders. Don’t get me wrong I know most of you have experienced this situation at some point in your life and your reasoning for filing was valid, but let me tell you lately I’ve worked with several clients who have had accusations against them which have been false. Somehow our society has become one who utilizes the legal system to moderate their relationships. Yet most people do not realize the court systems frown upon citizens exploiting it for frivolous claims. Webster defines frivolous as not having purpose or value. A restraining order  is defined as a document or process that one engages when someone feels threatened or harassed. However, this process is used to cover one’s tracks and there has been influx of unmerited Restraining Order reported. So….as the GREAT lawyer I am, let me present to you relationshi

 I know we hear this time and time again, that’s Thanksgiving is about giving ‘thanks!’ But, how many of us actually do this? Take time to give thanks by doing something for others, spending time with love ones, and being appreciative of the things you have. Know there are people less fortunate than you. Thanksgiving is a chance for you to express your appreciation for the big and small things in life. I know that everything in your life might not be going as planned. But, appreciation is a way to (1) focus on what you have, (2) find opportunities for growth, and (3) destress your life from everything that seems to be going wrong. And know this, there is always someone who can use your help. So, you complaining about something that is not going right might be something small for someone who does not have a place to live or food to eat. Sometimes we can get lost in our own world where we feel that the small problems of our life are major. Spend some time with others who think your

We forget that the power of life and death is in the tongue. We must do a better job with making sure we are mindful of what we say to others and more importantly ourselves. How many times have you been thinking that something bad or good is going to happen and it happens? Some people call it the Secret Law of Attraction, etc. However, you want to classify it, it works. I know you are wandering what am I talking about. But it is simple. What you say controls the life you live. . So, what are you saying to yourself? What are you saying to your spouse? What are you saying to your family? Do wish your living situation were to change? Do you wish you had better luck? Change what you are saying to yourself, verbally and internally. The good book talks about guarding your heart as the issues of life flows through it. I would say the same thing to you. Be mindful of what you focus on , as that is what you are going to think, and what you are going to say. This life is about being

What am I talking about? The answer is simple. Create something where everyone can be feel invested. Too many times we want employees to be invested in our vision. And to a certain degree, they need to be invested because that’s how they are going to get paid. But, we need to understand that the amount they are invested is dependent on how much they are invested. So how do you create something that they are invested in? I’m glad you ask. You can create investment opportunities for employees within the company, you can create a joint-venture opportunity for the products and service provide, or you can create bonus opportunities for them.  1. T hink back in the old days where companies gave employees shares of the company. Just because you are a small business does not mean you cannot create shares for it. Also, you can also create a business for investment and invest in whatever you want. Just make your employees members of the investment company.  2.   Create opportunities for join

What is publishing? Publishing rights allows a person to sell or do business with music, books, curriculums, etc. And when I say do business with it music or books, I mean partner with other companies or brands to put on maybe a concert, party, etc. With publishing rights, there come contracts, collaborations, and deals that help promote a specific song, album, book, or movie. When you are trying to publish a body of work, it takes multiple people to publish it. For example, you need a producer, artist, sound engineer and others to get a song ‘off the ground.’ And like any other project, there can be conflict that arises out of these projects. This is where having a good contract in place helps. I’ve worked with several groups of people to either help develop a contract or handle contract disputes . All in all, I’ve found that without having a contract, things can go haywire. When it comes to artist, many either not business savvy or do not care about the business side of deve

How many people you know who always busy I know a lot of people. One of those people is ME. I have found that to be very successful you have to delegate. And I’m not talking delegating for the sake of just telling someone what to do. Or you getting them to do something that you don’t want to do. I’m talking about getting some one to do a task that you don’t have time to do. Or getting someone to do something that they are much better at doing than you. One of the ways to delegate is to bring on people who have a vested interest in your mission. Oftentimes people think it's about paying people a certain amount of money to get them to do the right job. Where money is definitely a factor, you can find good people and not break the bank. What I typically do is if I'm trying to keep things within a budget, I offer people incentives to grow with the company. When you give people incentive to grow with you and you encourage them to help grow the business; you find that people be

We all have our moments where we are wanting to get so much accomplished in a day? Just yesterday, I got up late because I wanted to spend time with the family. But, I knew I had to get work done too. So, I ended up not completing everything I had planned. So, yes, I know the feeling. How do you accomplish two things at one time? My answer to this question is simple. If you want to accomplish more in life, ‘know your limits.’ Don’t try to get everything done on your ‘to do’ list at the hand of others or detriment to yourself. Life is very much so about progressively getting better. But, also, it’s about living. I talk about this on my podcast:   Success Pays. We all have those limits where we are just inefficient. You have to know everything that you are capable of and keep your focus within that wheelhouse. It is tempting at time to put more on your plate because you are seeing others doing it (appearing) or you are slacking in areas in your life. Don’t look at others. A lot of

I get a lot of calls about contracts. What is a contract?   A contract by law is (1) an offer, (2) an acceptance, and (3) mutuality. *There is a case about a million-dollar case in Alaska where a contract was formed on a napkin.   Back to our regularly scheduled program, let's break the elements of a contract. The first element is an offer. An offer is when a party offers some type of product or services to another person. The next element is an acceptance in which a party sees an offer and either offers to pay for service and/or product; or provides some service and/or product in exchange. The latter part is what some courts may call a reliance.   The third element of a contract is mutuality . Mutuality is a tricky element of contract law. Because mutuality is if the value comparable, it bargained for, or the value exchange reasonable. Many people don't understand that even though you might have a written contract, if there is some type of the duress, no bargainin

What do I mean consistency is the cousin to success ?  There are a lot of people that think you become an overnight success, except the successful. The successful know that what appears to be ‘an overnight success’ took years of working on their craft. To be successful, you have to have a certain high level of consistency. You must stick to your plan, goals, and vision! How many of you guys know someone who is always trying something new and trying something different but never sticks with anything? My point exactly. You either knew or thought of someone in your mind instantly. Now, I don't think it's bad to try something new or to switch it up. However, I think the more times you switch it up and deviate from your original plans, the less likely you are to achieve them. Success can be elusive to some. But, it's really not. Success comes to those who really want it. And consistency is one of the determining factors of achieving success. I wanted to make money to p

Why you should let people know who you are? Well, first, how are you going to get paid? If people don't know who you are, what you do, and how you make money; there's no way that they can refer you business. I'm not saying throw your success in people face. Just because you are in the top of your class and make a million dollars a year, does not mean everyone wants to hear it. However, if you want to help others to be in the top of their class or make a million dollars, TELL people . If you want to be successful in life you have to let people know what you do for a living, what you're about, and what you represent. I am doing this program 75 Hard developed by Andy Frisella . And the programs require no drinking and working out twice a day, amongst other things. For me to be successful with this program, my group of friends and family need to understand that I'm not drinking alcohol and my time is very limited. So I'm now on day 40 something. But I think th

I know you think this might sounds like common sense, but a lot of people don’t understand the importance of being honest with their lawyer. Honesty with the right people is important. If you can’t be honest with your lawyer, then who can you be honest with. So why is it important to be honest with your lawyer ? 1.        The lawyer needs to understand where to start 2.        You don’t want anything unexpecting to come out in court I know this sounds simple, but please know that we all have our own faults. A lawyer is to advocate for you even in your worst situation. And the lawyer has probably heard worst. Now, I’m not saying that you need to tell every last detail. But, there are some details that every lawyer needs to know about their client. There are certain aspects that a lawyer must report. For example, if a client is going to cause injury towards themselves or others, the lawyer has to notify authorities. I’ve said before that there needs to be a level of transp

 This is something that I’ve been avoiding for a large part of my life:  Selling . Yes, if you own a business or work for a company, you need to be selling! Why? Because revenue conquers all! And how do you obtain or increase revenue? You increase it with sales. No matter what field you work in, you are doing some form of selling. Yes, you may be a doctor, lawyer, dental hygienist, tire repair person, etc. In all of these fields, there is an element of selling. Selling is the process of getting someone to buy a product or service. Yes, I’m having to break it down like we are in elementary school because a lot of people shy away from this as if it is a bad aura around the subject. I fell in love with selling not because of the money, even though I enjoy it. I love selling because I’m providing something to someone who needs or want it. I tell all of my clients where they are legal clients or business partners, that if it is coming out of my mouth, you can take that to the bank.

I was asked the other day ‘why am I so motivated about business and law?’ The answer is simple, motivation helped and helps me through my lows in life, my educational degrees, etc. So, what does this have to do with friends ? Real friends will help motivate you in personal, business, etc. When I say motivate, I’m talking about investing in your business, words of encouragements, social media shares, etc. Yes, I’m one of those guys who want to make sure that everyone in my group win! And you should be one of those people as well. Helping others to accomplish their goals is the epitome of friendship. You can have a lot of friends who buy you drinks, take trips with, play golf with, etc. But, how many friends actually invest in your business whether it is a big commitment or buying a $20.00 t-shirt from your friend? I know a lot of times when we think that friendship is just about having fun, but true friendship is about helping each other out during the high and low times of life

Some of the common unfair wage practices includes, but not limited to misclassified exempt, misclassified as independent contractor, failing to pay minimum wages, tip pooling, not paying for hours worked, etc. Misclassified Exempt Misclassified is when the employer makes an employee a salaried position while forcing them to work overtime. This is a common practice as employer try to find ways to cut cost. Employees are the biggest cost in any company, typically. Misclassified as Independent Contractor Misclassification of independent contractor is basically when an employer supervises the contractor as an employee. One of the major differences is an employee is more supervised by the employer. An independent contractor usually is someone who brings their own materials and make their own hours. The focus of a contractor is to complete the project they were hired to do. Failing to Pay Minimum Wage You’ll be surprised to find out that many employers don’t pay the minimum wage.

Dean Graziosi Show (October 9th 2020), he made raised up a good question. Are you busy or productive? A lot of times in life, I think we can get lost in the minutiae of creating a task list and checking things off of it for personal glorification. But, we need the focus on tasks that move the needle. Now, I'm reading this book by Andy Frisella and he makes a good point of being present during the montage. Sometimes we want to every obstacle and goal we face to be exciting. But, much of success is made during the mundane and boring tasks from day to day. So what is the difference between being busy and productive? Being busy is about checking items off your checklist. Being productive is about focusing on items that move the needle (Graziois, 2020). Now, there are a lot of things that could move the needle. But what needle are you trying to move at this point. I know this sound kind of philosophical, but this is an especially important point. For example, keeping up wi

What is transparency? I know a lot of you guys are probably wondering what the hell am I talking about? Whether you are trying to grow yourself, your business, in education, your family relationships, or your spiritual walk; you need to have a certain degree of transparency with yourself and those around you. Now transparency for me is not an opportunity for you to ‘dog’ someone. Transparency is about letting yourself and others know around you what you're trying to accomplish and what it's going to take to accomplish it. Often when I talk about how to get to the next level success, I say you got to find out where you are and find out where you trying to go. Transparency affords a lot of people the opportunity to really see themselves for who they are. And I'm talking about those people who have been degraded all their life by family and friends. I am talking about those people who have been put on pedestals and have fallen. No matter where you are in life you,

The simple answer to this question is lawyers have experienced a lot of real-life issues with their clients. As a lawyer, I’ve had the pleasure to experience a lot of different issues. Meaning, I know the good and the bad of people’s lives. When I have a close friend ask me for advice about almost any subject, I have some knowledge about it. Now, everyone’s situation is different. There is never a blanket answer or solution to everyone’s solution. So be mindful of the advice. A lawyer friend typically, not always, gives sound advice, whether it’s about relationships or business. What a lot of people don’t know about lawyers is that in order to become one, you not only have to finished years of schooling and pass the state bar exam. You have to be cleared through that state’s ethics board. Meaning, you can’t have any moral turpitudes on your records, e.g., bankruptcy, domestic violence, owed creditors, etc. The purpose of having this review board is to ensure that there are qua

For a lot of businesses, having a goal is important to its growth. But, how many actually have metrics to make sure they are on target for those goals? The answer is not many. This is not because they don’t want to do it. It is more so because (1) companies don’t understand the importance of having metrics, (2) don’t have the money to set them to have checks and balances to ensure they meet them; (3) don’t have proper repercussions for those who don’t follow them; and (4) don’t have a system to update them.  Yes, this is a lot!   But, if you are in business for yourself, you will quickly realize that you can spend your wheels doing a lot. And some of these things may be important. However, years later, you might find they aren’t all that important. It is tempting to go into the office and just start putting out fires. But, we need to be cautious of doing this because those fires can distract you form the overall purpose. Not having paper towels in the restroom is important, but no