Member Spotlight - Bruce Allen

“There is a small porch on Main Street in Disneyland with two chairs -- the perfect place to people-watch. I can sit there for hours and play people-watching games like "Match, Mismatch?", "Where Do They Come From?" and the most obvious game that we all play silently, "Did They Look in a Mirror This Morning!?" Come on... you know you do it too  . . .

One of my favorite marketing exercises is to create a persona for the brand of any firm I am working with (I wrote about it here). In short, I give him/her a name, dress him/her, teach him/her how to talk, walk, and function in the presence of my targeted audience. Then, every day we get up together, look in mirror, and go out and greet new challenges.

If your brand walked by me (or you) while we sat in those chairs on Main Street would we think, "Did they look in a mirror this morning?"”

--Bruce Allen, Marketing Catalyst blog post, April 21, 2008

Bruce Allen is the founder of Marketing Catalyst, a marketing agency that works with law firms and individual lawyers to develop marketing and business development strategies, tactics and skills that will help them succeed.  He is also the author of the top-ranked blog Marketing Catalyst which is regularly cited as a leading marketing and business development resource on the Internet for professional services marketers. 

After leaving the U.S. Marines in 1981 Bruce worked in a variety of marketing and business development roles primarily with technology companies.  He founded his first agency (BAM!) in 1988 focused on providing marketing support to early-stage technology companies.  His first exposure to law firm marketing came through several venture capital conferences his firm supported.  Ultimately he was invited to join Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison as a marketing manager in 1996.  Since then he also worked at Deloitte & Touche LLP and Rutan & Tucker, LLP prior to founding Marketing Catalyst in February of 2008.

Over the last several years Bruce has developed the reputation of being an innovator in relationship and business development.  In addition to orchestrating award winning marketing programs for his firms he's become known as a business relationship matchmaker.  Over the last several years Bruce has established more than two dozen private networking groups attracting more than 100 of Southern California's highest profile professional services producers and corporate executives. His reputation as a connector was cited in an article published by the Orange County Register where they titled him as a “Marketing Catalyst” for the first time.

On a typical day Bruce can be found working with clients, standing on-stage as a featured speaker, writing a new article for his blog or attending to board business for one of the many organizations he supports. Except in the winter.  During winter months Bruce can also be found on the slopes of Bear Mountain where he volunteers as an adaptive ski instructor.  His winter motto is, “If you can get the person to the mountain I can teach them to fall down it.”  After all, isn't skiing just a shorter word for “controlled falling”?

Q:  Where did you grow up?
A:  Minnesota and Ontario, Canada

Q: What would you be doing if you weren’t in the legal marketing industry?
A: I would either be a carpenter or an author – maybe both.

Q: What other jobs have you done besides law firm marketing?
A: Marine Corps Drill Instructor, professional baseball umpire, sheriff, carpenter, graphic artist, chef and ski instructor

Q: What book are you reading?
A: East of Eden by John Steinbeck and Bounderies by D. Henry Cloud.

Q: What was the last great trip you took?
A: Florence, Italy to visit my youngest daugther who was attending the Accademia dell'Arte del Disegno as an art student.  We traveled throughout Tuscany and visited Venice as well.

Q:  What is the best thing about your job?
A:  Working with such a variety of smart, savvy professionals.  All of my client firms and professionals are excited to learn and grow as fast as I can guide them – and it may be that I am learning as much from them with each new project.

Q:  What advice would you offer to younger marketers entering the legal industry?
A:  Speak up and let your opinion be heard.  The professionals at your firm benefit everytime you volunteer your ideas and insights. 

Q: What car do you drive?
A: Base-model 2002 Chevy Silverado. I am popular with friends needing to haul stuff around.

Q: Where is your favorite place to go to relax?
A: Waist deep in the Deschutes River, Oregon with fly rod in hand.

Q: What is your favorite cuisine?
A: Generically I would say Italian, but I am a more of a chef groupie.  I will travel a long way just to have a great meal prepared by an excellent chef.

Q: If you were stranded on a desert island, what would you want to have with you?
A: The title deed to the island.  If I owned it I would no longer be stranded.