Dr. Marc Hafkin Shares His Insights Into What It Takes To Become An Entrepreneur
Dr. Marc Hafkin has had a private practice since 1975 seeing individuals, couples, and running psychotherapy and coaching groups. Additionally, he supervises Master and Doctoral candidates in their clinical work.
Dr. Hafkin completed his Doctoral degree in 1981 and went on to complete a Post Doctoral Fellowship in Clinical Psychology in 1984. Dr. Hafkin did graduate work at Washington University in St Louis completing two Masters degrees in Clinical Social Work and Counseling Psychology.
Dr. Hafkin has worked with Masters and Johnsons in their sex therapy clinic assessing individuals and couples and treating them for various sexual and emotional difficulties. He has also worked in a treatment center for “emotionally dysregulated” children and adolescents as well as various hospitals, and prisons.
Dr. Hafkin completed various trainings in numerous approaches to psychotherapy and has combined his expertise with an educational approach to coaching. He has moved from a “medical/pathology approach to an “educational strength-based” approach when working with individuals.
While in St Louis, Dr. Hafkin trained police officers in domestic dispute and conflict resolution to de-escalate volatile situations. He has consulted with numerous organizations to help their senior staff become more effective in their professional careers and peer relationships.
Early on in Dr. Hafkin’s career, while on active duty in the U.S. Army, he was in charge of several Psychiatric wards and later the outpatient clinic of a major Psychiatric Center in Frankfurt Germany. After several years of Active Duty in the military, Dr. Hafkin left to pursue further education in 1973.
We had the opportunity to sit down with Dr. Marc Hafkin where he shared the advice he’d give to someone who wants to start their own company, and what he’d do differently if he were to start all over.
What do you think makes you successful?
I have the determination and will to succeed and move forward no matter what.
I am willing to take on a manageable amount of risk in order to grow both personally and professionally.
If I am ever in doubt about something I am willing to ask and seek out resources to aid me in the decisions that need to be made.
If you were to start again, what would you do differently?
Looking back on my professional career, I would probably replicate the process. I feel that I took on the learning from others, followed the advice I was given and gave myself the time to grow by trusting ”in the process”.
What is one strategy that has helped grow your business?
I make a point of connecting with colleagues on a continual and scheduled basis. I try to write a personal “thank you” to everyone who makes a referral to me, instead of an email.
What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?
When I first went to college, I partied and pretty much flunked out of school. I was not ready to study. Then, I worked both bridge and road construction for a while before entering the Army.
The military provided me with structure and consistency within which I flourished emotionally. In the military I learned how to stay focused on the “mission” and not get distracted by other opportunities thus, achieving my goals.
What is the biggest mistake you see others making in business?
Not being clear on the goals of what people want and how to operationalize them. Not paying enough attention to one’s strengths and the need to learn.
What are the key elements for starting and running a successful business?
Having a clear perspective and business plan, consulting with people who could help, knowing your limitations, and being able to ask for help when needed.
What advice do you have for someone starting their own company?
First off, I would advocate for having a clear vision of what the person wants to create and the steps needed to get there.
Secondly, I would suggest that a person seek out mentors or coaches with whom they could consult.
Thirdly, I might ask the person to take stock of their strengths and who they would have in their support system to compensate for the areas that are underdeveloped.
Texas Attorney Cesar Ornelas
Cesar Ornelas is a first-generation college graduate and attorney, originally from Kyle, Texas. Licensed in Texas, Cesar Ornelas’s nationwide law practice is entirely contingency fee-based and consists of a wide variety of catastrophic personal injury and death cases. He has represented countless victims of catastrophic accidents across the United States. Cesar Ornelas has devoted his entire career to giving a voice to the voiceless and has made it his duty to ensure that the big corporations do not take advantage of ordinary individuals. His success in and out of the courtroom translates through his diligence, discipline, and perseverance.
Cesar Ornelas started to practice law after graduating from St. Mary’s Law School. He has been handling catastrophic personal injury and death cases since his first day in practice. Since becoming a lawyer, Cesar Ornelas has done significant work for his clients throughout the state of Texas and the United States.
Cesar Ornelas is a member of the State Bar of Texas and the Texas Trial Lawyers Association. Additionally, he has been named as a life member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. The Million Dollar Advocates Forum is recognized as one of the most prestigious groups of trial lawyers in the United States and less than 1% of U.S. lawyers are members.
In the spring of 2021, Cesar was selected to be a part of The National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40, an invitation-only program extended exclusively to those trial lawyers practicing civil plaintiff and/or criminal defense law.
Most recently, Cesar Ornelas has been engaged to represent several victims of the November 5, 2021 tragedy at the Astroworld Music Festival that left 10 people dead and hundreds injured.
In February 2022, Cesar Ornelas Law filed a lawsuit seeking damages in excess of $10,000,000 for the horrific and heinous allegations on behalf of the toddler victim and her family. The court has accepted the lawsuit and the family is working with San Antonio Police and Child Protective Services regarding their investigations.
Learn more about Ceasar Ornelas on his website
Reagan Sahadi – Sahadi Legal Group
Reagan Sahadi has had overwhelming success litigating cases throughout the nation in several areas of the law. Specifically, Reagan excels in representing personal injury and products liability victims. He formed Sahadi Legal Group to provide the wealth of experience and resources of a larger law firm while still maintaining the personal touch of a boutique firm.
Upon graduating from law school, Reagan joined Donnell, Abernethy & Kieschnick in Corpus Christi where he worked for several years. He remained in Corpus Christi, and subsequently joined Wigington Rumley Dunn & Blair LLP, where he focused his practice on truck accidents, products liability, oil and gas accidents, and other catastrophic personal injury accidents.
Reagan Sahadi and his wife, Dr. Mary Margaret Ara, have donated money earmarked for the rehabilitation of the WWII memorial on the grounds of the Courthouse in the City of Goliad, Texas. This follows their purchase of the First National Bank building as they continue to breathe new life into the historically important area, which also holds a sentimental place for the generous couple. Reagan was the first municipal court judge for the city of Goliad and he presided over a wide variety of cases for the city.
Reagan recently obtained a verdict in a personal injury case exceeding $120 million dollars, the largest verdict for actual damages in El Paso County history. He has negotiated settlements on behalf of his clients in the seven-figure range on multiple occasions, including a recent $19,000,000.00 settlement on a products liability action. In total since 2009, Reagan’s verdicts and settlements have surpassed several hundred million dollars.
Reagan has recently been engaged to represent two victims of the November 5, 2021 tragedy at the Astroworld Music Festival that left 10 people dead and hundreds injured.
Reagan Sahadi is licensed to practice in all Texas state courts, and in the Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas. He is a member of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association and the Attorneys Information Exchange Group. In the past, Reagan has served on the Board of Directors for the Corpus Christi Young Lawyers Association and was appointed by the mayor to the Board of Directors to the Corpus Christi Crime Control and Prevention District.
What Businesses Need to Do to Prevent Employee Injuries
The last thing your business needs is an on-the-job accident to occur. You care about your employees, and want to do everything in your power to keep them safe. Plus, accidents can lead to critical production losses and even costly lawsuits. Everyone wins when the workplace is a safe place to be.
Supply PPE
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that employers provide the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) for each employee. This is the equipment that is necessary to protect workers from serious hazards that could cause injuries or illness. Depending on the job, this equipment could include hard hats, gloves, earplugs, safety glasses, respirators, hazmat suits, and more. Each employee should be provided with their own, properly-fitted equipment, and it should be kept clean and in good repair. These items offer vital protection from physical, mechanical, electrical, chemical, and radiological hazards.
Provide Employees With Information
The OSHA also requires employers to provide thorough safety training to each employee, in a language that they understand. The OSHA also provides a variety of resources that will help you know what kinds of training are required, as well as tutorials, videos, publications, and more. Employees should have access to critical information about safety hazards in your workplace. They should also receive training on how to operate equipment, when to wear PPE, and what to do in the case of an emergency. Additionally, your employees should be well-versed in your emergency plan. This should include an evacuation plan, as well as safe areas in the case of lightning, tornadoes, or other emergency situations.
Perform Regular Safety Inspections
Regular safety inspections are key to keeping your workplace accident-free. The OSHA offers self-inspection checklists based on your type of industry that you can refer to. Some examples of these checklists include self-inspection for general industry, housekeeping, electrical, fall protection, truck safety, and construction. Performing these inspections will instruct you as to the areas that need to be improved. It is also important to have the proper emergency supplies on hand. This should include small items such as basic first aid supplies, flashlights, blankets, water, and communication tools. You should also keep large-ticket items such as fully functioning smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, automated external defibrillators (AED’s), fire extinguishers, and, where necessary, eyewash stations.
Workplace safety is vital both for your employees and for your business. When you take the time to make safety a priority, you could be saving lives. Remember to lead by example. By teaching, enforcing, and exemplifying safety, you have the power to create a safety-focused work culture.
Read this next: Common Issues That Lead to Injuries in the Workplace
Tools You Need to Use in Your Estate Plan
For many people, even the idea of planning their estate can feel very overwhelming, and so they put it off for far too long. However, you can actually use many different tools to help you plan for your estate appropriately and cover all your bases. When you have the right tools at your disposal, it is a lot easier for you to make sure that you are planning your estate in the best possible way.
A Will
The first tool that you can use to pull your estate plan together is your will. You want to write your will early and update it frequently when your life situations change. It’s important to think about who you want to benefit from your will and what you want them to receive. The more clear and thorough your will is, the easier it will be to execute after your death. It’s also important to consider who you would like to care for your family in the case of your death, especially if you have young children around. Talking to your beneficiaries when you write your will can help to clear up any confusion and prevent any issues.
Trusts
You can also use trusts to help take care of your estate and your finances both while you are alive and after your death. A trust is a legal entity that can be used to protect assets and ensure they are used properly. Having a trust in order can also help you to avoid the probate process. The probate process can take months or years to complete. That can be difficult for your family and make their grief more difficult to bear. It’s a good idea to make sure you have trust in order.
A Financial Advisor
You don’t have to plan your estate on your own. And in fact, having a little help can be an effective tool to reduce stress and make sure things are done correctly. It is important that you do some research so you find an advisor who can help you and who has strong references. The more you trust your advisor, the better they’ll be able to assist.
Taking care of estate planning is a big task and it can be overwhelming. But it’s okay to take it a step at a time and have help along the way. As you get help from trusted advisors, you will start to see your plan come together.
Read this next: How to Give Your Business Greater Legal Protection
Messy Situations You Can Avoid With Good Estate Planning
If you’re like many people, you haven’t given much thought to your final days and what happens to your assets after you die. It isn’t pleasant to think about, but aging and death are inevitable. Estate planning is essential if you want to avoid causing conflicts for yourself and your heirs.
Fights Over End-of-Life Care
A terminal illness or critical accident can happen at any time, and if you haven’t made your wishes clear, your loved ones could be left with tough decisions to make. When a patient isn’t able to contribute to their care, it’s the next of kin who must decide things like whether life support should be discontinued. These are heart-wrenching situations that can cause bitter conflicts among your loved ones, but you can avoid putting such a burden on them by putting your wishes for end-of-life care in writing. With an attorney, you should draw up a living will, or advance directive, that specifies exactly what care you want and don’t want.
Lengthy Court Battles
After your death, your property will come under the supervision of a probate court, which will determine the legal process of dividing your estate among your heirs. If you die without a will, the process of deciding who should get what can be lengthy and can cause legal battles among those who think they should inherit. Estate planning, including a clear will and trust, can help your heirs avoid the problems. A trust transfers your assets to a trusted person or trustee, who will handle them according to your wishes. A probate court will interpret your will if you don’t have a trust in place.
Running Out of Money
It is possible for your estate to run out of money before your heirs inherit anything. This happens when your debts are greater than your assets. If the estate runs out of money before all debts are paid, it is declared as insolvent, and your heirs will get nothing. Estate planning can help avoid insolvency. Setting up trusts is one way, but it must be done according to law. Living trusts can be set up before you die and do not have to go through probate.
The time to plan your estate is now. Life can change in a second, and you want to be prepared. You can protect your loved ones financially and from the possibility of legal and emotional turmoil.
Read this next: Common Issues That Lead to Injuries in the Workplace
How to Make a Successful Career Transition to Law
Transitioning to a new career is daunting but when you are passionate about something, it’s all worth it. There are a few steps you can take in order to make it a little less stressful and give you something to look forward to. Establishing a career path, deciding on your focus area, and being patient with yourself and the process are the first steps to transitioning successfully.
Establish Your Career Path
There are a lot of steps in order to complete your career transition successfully. There are a lot of choices that need to be made and it’s important to plan out how you’re going to get to your end goal. You’ll need to apply to law school, pass several exams (LSAT, Bar, MPRE), and pick your focus area. With a detailed plan for the future, you may feel a little less intimidated by the task you’ve chosen to undertake.
Decide on Your Focus Area
While being a lawyer is a major time commitment, it can be a very rewarding profession. There are many different areas that you can choose to specialize in including criminal justice, environmental law, or family law. There are many areas of family law, and this field is often in high demand. Finding the right focus area for you is critical. It’s important to be doing something you love otherwise you may not be very successful. Many lawyers find a focus area that is personal to them. You can also pick one because you believe it will make a difference and you feel passionate about it.
Be Patient
Becoming a lawyer will be a lot of hard work and will take a lot of time but seeing the benefits of your hard work pay off will make it all worth it. You just need to be patient with yourself. Understand that it will take a long time before it comes naturally to you. Even then, every case will be different and possibly even more difficult than the last. You just need to remember why you went through this career transition.
Transitioning to a new career path can be challenging, but it’s definitely possible. Establishing a career path, understanding your focus area, and having patience are great ways to get started. By doing these things, you can successfully transition to a career path you love.
Read this next: How to Keep Your Legal Skills Sharp
How to Protect Your Business From Damaging Lawsuits
Your business is thriving and you want to make sure that it stays that way. But what can you do to protect your business from potential damaging lawsuits when there are so many risks out there? Taking certain specific steps can help you at least eliminate a large amount of risk.
Buy Liability Insurance
Insurance can help protect your finances in case of a lawsuit. Getting the right kind of liability insurance can make a big difference for you and your business. Some insurance options are geared towards smaller businesses while some are geared towards businesses that put employees in potentially risky situations while others are geared towards larger companies.
Being aware of the different approaches that different types of liability insurance companies take will help you make the best choice for you and your company.
Put Safety First
Another thing you can do to ensure that your business is protected from lawsuits is to ensure that employees are able to have access to the resources necessary to perform their jobs safely. For example, make sure that you are able to give all employees the necessary training to do their job not only to inform them on standard procedures but also to help them feel more confident and secure in their ability to respond in challenging situations.
You should also make sure that you meet OSHA requirements. OSHA requires businesses to place hazard signs near dangers in the workplace.
Prevent Against Potential Hazards
In addition to ensuring that your employees are properly trained and properly equipped with the right safety equipment, you should also invest significant resources into making sure that you perform any necessary repairs to your business in order to prevent potential injury and subsequent lawsuits.
Make plans to address potential hazardous situations that resurface each year when the weather changes. For example, make sure that you have a clear and comprehensive building care plan in place during the winter. Make sure that someone will salt the entry stairs, watch for pot holes in the parking lot, and mop the entryway floor to prevent slips.
It sometimes seems that damaging lawsuits are a possibility in your future no matter what you do now. But in all reality, taking important precautionary steps can make a big difference in protecting you from potential threats. Starting with the ideas in this article can get you started in the right direction.
What Every Lawyer Needs to Protect Their Firm
Every lawyer has problems from time to time, and that’s why it is important for every firm to have a few things in line to protect them from whatever issues may come up. Having the right protections in place will make sure that your firm is covered even when something big seems to go wrong.
Their Own Lawyer
One of the most important things a law firm needs for their protection is outside counsel to ensure they are covered if something goes wrong. Though your law firm is certainly made of experts in the kind of law they practice, they may not be best equipped to represent the firm if action is taken against them. By hiring an outside lawyer to take on any cases brought up against your firm, you ensure that you have the expertise you need to resolve those legal issues. Much like you would want a criminal lawyer to represent you in a criminal case, you want to make sure the lawyer who represents your firm is experienced in that kind of law.
Malpractice Insurance
No law firm or lawyer can be perfect in every case they work on, that is why it is a good idea to invest in malpractice insurance to protect you and your firm from costly mistakes that are bound to happen from time to time. Malpractice insurance can protect you from many situations in which you make costly errors. Malpractice insurance will cover the legal costs associated with a malpractice claim and will ensure that your firm doesn’t face further financial difficulty after a mistake is made or alleged. Even the best lawyers need malpractice insurance because it keeps them safe from the potential ramifications of even small mistakes.
A Secure Way to Store Client Information
The information that lawyers collect from their clients is privileged, and they are not allowed to share it beyond the client/lawyer relationships. In the modern day when most of that information is stored online, it is essential that it is stored securely so your files don’t get leaked or breached and revealed to the public. Investing in secure online storage will protect your company from the potential reality of hacked files that could have serious consequences legally and for your client relationships.
Protecting your law firm is essential to your success and the future of your career. With a few simple steps, you can protect your firm and ensure that you are covered moving forward.
Why Do Businesses Need Worker’s Comp?
There is the potential for accident or injury in almost every field, and having the worker’s comp to cover your employees in the case of an injury will make sure they are taken care of financially and decrease the likelihood of a lawsuit. As a business owner, paying for worker’s comp services can protect not only your employees but also you and your business.
It’s Required
The most important thing to know about worker’s comp is that companies are actually required to provide it to their employees. According to Barnes Disability Advocates, states are in charge of setting requirements and making sure businesses are adequately covered. You may think that worker’s comp is only required for large corporations, but it is actually required for any employer with at least one employee, that means almost every small business should have worker’s compensation. Make sure to check with your state regulations so you can provide the necessary and adequate coverage for all of your employees and fulfill the requirement.
It Protects You
Worker’s compensation can also help to protect your company from liability. If an employee is hurt on the job, generally the employer would be responsible to take care of the damages. Worker’s compensation helps to take care of that responsibility. When you have a worker’s compensation policy you are protected from personal responsibility to financially cover the employee’s injury and other expenses. As The Hartford points out, with a good worker’s compensation policy, you can protect your company and yourself from liability and prepare for the future by paying the premiums up front.
It Protect Your Employees
When you are running a business, it is important that your employees have the protections they need and that they feel like they are valued in your company. By providing worker’s comp to your employees, you are able to create an environment where they can feel more valued and safer, and then will be more productive on the job. By creating a safe environment for your employees, you will actually increase the productivity and success of your company generally.
Providing worker’s comp is an important part of running any business. It can help protect you and your business and keep things running smoothly no matter what comes up. Invest in worker’s compensation so you and your employees will have the help and protection you need if an accident were to occur in the workplace, today, tomorrow, or any time down the line.