Avery Blank On Millennials, Opportunities, And Women's Leadership
Within some business circles, she is known as the “Bulldog Ballerina” -- graceful, strong, and persevering.
Avery Blank (Photo via The Daily Record)
“Trying to make a sister feel low / You know all of that gots to go.” — Queen Latifah
Last month, Avery Blank and Scott Westfahl co-authored the NALP article titled, “Leverage the Strengths of Millennials: Finding Common Ground and Hidden Opportunities.”
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Their article was uniquely written from the contrasting Baby Boomer’s and Millennial’s perspectives. It offers specific steps for moving from a misunderstanding of millennials to leveraging the talents of the next generation of leaders.
I recently had the opportunity to catch up with Avery Blank, the Principal and Founder of Avery Blank Consulting. She recently shared her advice on hiring strategies for growth-stage companies at the Propelify Innovation Festival, which included other thought leaders such as Arianna Huffington. She is focused on and passionate about women in leadership positions.
With experience in industry, government, academia, non-profits, and professional organizations, she has worked with some of the most successful leaders and organizations in the world. Her work in policy has made her keenly aware of context and the complexities in the public and private sectors. Within some business circles, she is known as the “Bulldog Ballerina” — graceful, strong, and persevering.
Without further ado, here is a (lightly edited and condensed) write-up of our conversation:
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Renwei Chung (RC): What attracted you to the law and how did you choose the University of Maryland School of law?
Avery Blank (AB): Fairness is a core value of mine. I wanted to gain the training needed to speak up and advocate for fairness. I chose to attend Maryland Law because of its Women, Leadership and Equality Program, which teaches prospective attorneys how to better advocate for themselves and for women in society at large.
RC: I love your line, “Don’t let anybody define the term lawyer for you.” Can you expound on this?
AB: Don’t let people tell you what a lawyer is supposed to be or do. The skills you learn in law school are incredibly valuable and transferable. Going to law school doesn’t just train you to work in a law office (in fact, many practicing attorneys believe you learn the law after law school). More importantly, it trains you to think critically and strategically.
I use my skills as an attorney, as a trained advocate, to help my clients advocate for and strategically position themselves to achieve their goals. That could be helping an organization with policy or business strategy related to thought leadership or the engagement of millennials and women. That could be helping a professional speak up and position herself for a board seat. As an impact strategist, I help my clients advocate for and strategically position themselves to increase their impact and influence.
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RC: NALP recently published an article you co-authored with Scott Westfahl from Harvard Law School’s Executive Education program titled, “Leverage the Strengths of Millennials: Finding Common Ground and Hidden Opportunities.” For those who haven’t had the chance to read it yet, what is the main takeaway?
AB: Scott (the Baby Boomer) and I (the Millennial) offer specific steps for moving from a misunderstanding of millennials to leveraging the incredible talents of the next generation of legal leaders. We delve into the psychology of motivation, dispel myths, and encourage people to judge less and find common ground. The key points apply to all industries and professions.
RC: Last month, you spoke at the Propelify Innovation Festival. What did you talk about?
AB: At Propelify, dubbed the SXSW of the Northeast, I spoke on strategy for growth stage companies — the strategy around companies looking for talent and the strategy for professionals to get hired.
As Propelify founder Aaron Price says, “Idle ideas don’t fly. Let’s propel.” Propelify is about innovation. Innovation is the opportunity to do better, to be better. To lead in your career and in business, you have to think like an entrepreneur and identify and leverage strategic opportunities that will position yourself for success, which is what I do for my clients.
Another great piece of advice came from Arianna Huffington, who said, “Failure is not the opposite of success. Failure is the stepping stone to success. It is the opportunity to advance.”
RC: What advice do you have for recent law school graduates and young attorneys?
AB: You are your best advocate. Tell people what you are good at. Share your successes. If you don’t, it is unlikely others will know. Doing good work will not speak for itself. You need to speak up and make your career your business.
In The Self-Made Billionaire Effect: How Extreme Producers Create Massive Value, the authors state brilliantly: “Risk is losing the opportunity, not failing in the attempt.” Go for it. Stop asking for permission. Stop waiting until things are perfect. You are a (soon to be) lawyer. You are smart enough to figure it out.
RC: What motivates your work?
AB: What motivates me is knowing that I am helping great companies and people be seen and heard. As a writer and speaker, I learn just as much from the audience and readers as they do from me.
RC: It was great chatting with you. Is there anything else you would like to share with our audience?
AB: Use your voice to positively impact policy. I have had the opportunity to work at the federal, state, and local levels of government and in the private sector with government on policy.
As an Member of the Advisory Council to The Wilson Center’s Women in Public Service Project, our goal is to increase the number of women in political and policy leadership positions around the world. Speak up about the civic, social, and political issues that matter to you. As professionals trained in the law, you have the ability to advocate for others and make an impact. Take advantage of the opportunity.
On behalf of everyone here at Above the Law, I would like to thank Avery Blank for sharing her story with our audience. We wish her continued success in her career.
If you have a minute, be sure to follow Avery Blank on Twitter @BlankAvery and visit her website.
Renwei Chung is the Diversity Columnist at Above the Law. You can contact Renwei by email at projectrenwei@gmail.com, follow him on Twitter (@renweichung), or connect with him on LinkedIn.
