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

 How many times have we felt like we’ve been beating our head against a wall?  When your hard work isn't paying off, it can be helpful to step back and reassess your approach. Here are a few things you can try: Set specific, measurable goals: Make sure you know what you're working towards and how you'll know when you've achieved it. Get feedback: Ask for feedback from others and use it to improve.  However, it is important to make sure you get feedback from ‘right’ person. I mean, you know what they say about opinions. But, if you have the right team around you, it might be useful to gain feedback.  Learn from failure: Failure can be a valuable learning opportunity. Don't be afraid to take risks and experiment.  Some might say ‘fail fast.’ I recommend to at least execute on something.  Stay positive and focus on progress: Remember that progress, not perfection, is the goal.  If you refer back to the ‘set specific, measurable goals.’ I think too many pe...

 HECK NO! Having a trust and a last will and testament is for everyone. 3 reasons why it is for everyone below: 1.          If you have any property and/or money in an account, without having either instrument can prolong your estate. 2.        Having these instruments aren’t about the amount. 3.        The general purpose of these instruments is to leave those who rely on the decease some type of security. We all may know of Takeout, the rapper. Essentially, he died without having a will and last will and testament. And due to the lack of this instrument, his parents are fighting over the estate. So not having these documents in place may cost your estate a lot of money. So how do you setup last will and testament? 1.        Do an inventory of all property, funds, personal objects, etc. 2.        Record who y...

For those who don’t know what Learned Helplessness (LH) is here is the Webster’s dictionary definition:  Noun:  A condition in which a person suffers from a sense of powerlessness, arising from a traumatic event or persistent failure to succeed. It is thought to be one of the underlying causes of depression.  Now, how many of us have experienced this ourselves? Or know someone who deals with this. I know I have dealt with this with myself and with others.   So, why am I writing about this? Simple, if you are a business owner or lead a team of people, having to deal with individuals who have learned helplessness can be a daunting task. And more so, having these people on your team is not good for the company’s bottom line.   Ex. Susan in sales is always complaining that she doesn’t have any leads for mortgages. She makes calls, advertises, and constantly ask her friends for referrals. But it seems that she can’t get ahead. But one thing Susan doesn’t ta...

I'm currently reading a book titled The Greatest You by Trent Shelton. I’m on page 81 in the book and it’s very insightful. I’ve never heard of this author before, but I saw his book on the shelf in Barnes & Nobles in Macon, Georgia last year while with my college roommate.   Long story short, I'm in the chapter where he writes about burning the right bridges. And I think this is an interesting viewpoint because there are a lot of people in our lives who are negative, don’t add value, and look to gain from you at every waking moment.   Unfortunately, there are people out there who fall prey to these individuals because of their generous heart.   So you might be wondering why am I talking about this? The answer is simple:  Most schools of thought will tell you when you run into these ‘energy drainers’ run away fast. But, what happens when these energy drainers are spouses, children, supervisors, and/or clients? You become an energy transformer....

Going through a divorce is never an easy process to initiate. I’ve been through one. You make a vow to stick with someone for the rest of your life. And then all of sudden, you find yourself arguing everyday and totally loathing the presence of the person.  So I’m writing this blog post to hopefully help others who are thinking about going through this process; or those who have started the process already.   I handle a few divorce cases and I’ve learned prearranged agreement is always better. I think too many times spouses are wanting to get the most out of a divorce. But, in the process they drain their personal finances. People see a lot of high-net-worth individuals on social media and television getting divorces. You see the ridiculous amounts of money for child support and alimony.  However, in everyday life, people don’t have access to millions of dollars and multibillion dollar companies.  With that being said, my encouragement a lawyer is to make sure y...

No one is going to care about your business like you. And it’s okay.  You hear from these ‘talking heads’ on television and social media that your employees need to be just as passionate about your business as you are. I get the logic behind wanting your employees to be excited about what you are paying them to do. But, for me having someone gung ho fore a business that they didn’t put money into and sweat equity to start is huge misguided request from the owner. Employees are people. They have dreams and passions too (outside of the business). I believe the more you encourage them to follow their dreams, the better your business will do.  Think about it. When you are working for someone and they let you off early to handle personal business; didn’t you feel a high level of internal gratitude towards them? Absolutely. You automatically said that there is no other company that will allow you to do that.  This is even more so important during this Covid-19 pandemic. People ...

 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 ...

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 relatio...

 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 ...

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 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...

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 bar...

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. ...

 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 ...

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...