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

Preparing to die, is preparing to live. How often do you hear people say that they mean to get their life together before they die? And never do? Yes, I am talking about planning for your departure from this life. I know this is something that no one wants to talk about. However, focusing on your departure is not only about the end, but about what you do until then. When you plan for ‘the end’ you’ll see increases in your (1) personal life goals, (2) family plans, and (3) focus.  1. When getting your affairs in order, it forces you to look at the big picture. Makes you ask yourself ‘what do you genuinely want in life? And what do you want to leave behind for your love ones, non-profit organizations, and/or friends? You must understand the reason for your goals. And how you are going to obtain them. No matter how long you plan to leave, when you plan your end, it makes you realize the importance of achieving goals that are align with your mission.  2. Planning for the end he

Eric Thomas a.k.a. ‘the Hip Hop Preacher’ says it best:  Don't cry to quit, cry to keep going. Use your emotions as fuel to complete the task at hand. Some people hit a bump in the road and pull over to stay stuck. The successful hit a bump and keep riding on ‘run flats.’ I know this belief or mantra is repetitive for my successful people out there. However, we need to hear some words of encouragement from time to time. Being successful does not mean you do not have emotions. Being successful means knowing how to control them. Every great leader has been known for their ability to control emotions whether it is the past Presidents of the United States, CEO’s of Fortune 500 companies, or Pastoral leaders. All of them have one trait in common:   The ability to control emotions. I have found that controlling emotions is easier said than done. I remember receiving my first failing grade in undergrad. I was more than livid because I studied way harder than I had ever done in

When building a brand, it is important to understand that to build brand loyalty, there is some type of belief in the product or services. Meaning, people will buy from someone or some company they trust. However, how do you build that trust if no one or that buyer has not done business with you. The answer is not as simple as market, Google AdWords, etc. The answer is what you as a consumer are looking for (1) longevity, (2) quality for relative fair price (no cheap), (3) brand recognition, and (4) communication. Longevity Consumers look to make sure you have some stability. That you are not just going to take money and live in the wind. And this does not matter how much money is spent. Longevity usually signifies that you have proven yourself in the marketplace. Quality for a fair price Please do not confuse ‘fair price’ with being the cheapest. This simply means that the services and/or product you are providing are fair with the quality. Rolex and Rolls Royce ar

Often you hear about celebrities making it big by hard work. But, rarely do you hear about some of the grimy moments in life after making it big and having to work even harder to get it back. This post is to offer insight into Will Smith’s claim to fame as a television star and a broke rapper. Smith is considered one of the best actors in the business, but even his admits that he some trouble earlier in his rap career. But, fortunately, he has a great sense of resilience while saying yes to everything, a great network of friends, and humbleness. Be resilient: Shortly after being a Grammy and triple platinum winning rapper, Will Smith went broke. However, Smith did not stop, he took his girlfriend’s advice at the time which was to attend Arsenio Hall’s show. There Smith met Benny Medina, an artist manager. From there, Medina introduced Smith to Quincy Jones. Jones and Medina were writing a sitcom, (what we all know today as Fresh Prince of Bel Aire). After being invited to a