There’s so much to learn from times when there are industry wide U-Turns and so we asked so we asked the community to share stories of such reversals that they’ve witnessed over the course of their careers.

Melissa Koefod

The legal industry has been stuck in a run of hourly billing since I can remember. We take an oath as attorneys to vigorously represent our client’s best interests, not our financial self interest, and as such, I have always felt that the hourly model was antithetical to our oath and to the best interests of the clients. As someone who has been on the receiving end of an hourly bill, I can attest to the fact that clients do not enjoy these bills and billing methods either. Through emerging technology, I have been able to increase efficiencies and create flat fee models that not only the clients enjoy, but I enjoy, as I don’t know of any attorney that actually enjoys measuring their life in 6 min increments. I have created a system that automates and adds efficiencies into every area of my firm, from marketing, to intake, to case management, in a secure and simple way that is utilized be everyone at the firm. This has allowed us to provide our clients with a transparent pricing structure, and created efficiencies allowing the firm to handle more client matters and focus on the actual work for the client, rather than the administration of the work. Not only has this increased firm profits, client satisfaction, at free time for everyone at the firm, but, it has also allowed the firm to branch out and create both a record label for select clients as well as have an in house marketing arm for both the firm and for our clients, should they choose to utilize it. With the advances in technology, we continue to refine our processes and help other firms do the same! Read more>>

Trevor Pleasant

I’ve been blessed to have two professions as a medical professional for Davita dialysis and also as a musician. I will talk about a U-Turn musically and medically.I actually went almost 10 years without touching an instrument or writing any lyrics. Music was a thing of the post for me as I concentrated 100% on my medical job. Spring of 2020 a lot happened during this time personally, musically, and medically. I remember covid 19 coming to existence. Medically everything changed. Wearing mask 10 to 12 hours a day. Patients with compromised immune systems wearing mask. We totally changed our protocols on how we did medical screening due to COVID. Which is a standard that is used today. During this same time in 2020 my best friend was on the verge of dying. It was a u turn in my life personally and musically. He went hospice. I Went to visit him at the hospice house. He told me that I should get back into making music. Sometimes he was honestly to a fault but one thing about him is that when he said something i listened. The fuel and inspiration I needed to get back into music. Unfortunately he didn’t get to see the music thing take off for me because he passed away 2 months after our conversation. U turns in life come with a lot of curveballs, uncertainty, sometimes hurt and pain but there’s a silver lining and a root cause for everything. U turns can steer you in the right direction and be inspiring… Read more>>

 Jeremy Norton

In career firefighting, there are relatively few paths for advancement. It’s a unique profession, certainly, but also a city job, a union job, a job; financial advancement, ascending the ranks, power and prestige: these are human (or capitalist) values. In our system, one can promote by testing to four spots, two of which are sequential (Captain and Battalion Chief) and two are separate (driver/Fire Motor Operator, and Arson Investigator). The rest of the upper echelon positions are by appointment: so, politics and personal whims of the Fire Chief. Read more>>